Real Madrid News
Real Madrid have ‘no intention’ to sign Mbappe, will spend money on other targets
Following his exploits at the FIFA World Cup 2022, where he finished as the Golden Boot winner, Kylian Mbappe is once again being heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid.
The 24-year-old superstar had come very close to joining the Merengues last summer on a Bosman deal only to perform a last-minute swerve and sign a new, bumper contract with Paris Saint-Germain.
However, since before the World Cup, there has been a lot of chatter about the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner feeling let down by PSG and wanting to leave in the summer to join Real Madrid.
Those speculations have picked up further after his brilliant run at the World Cup in Qatar. But according to MARCA journalist Jose Felix Diaz, Real Madrid have absolutely no intentions to rekindle their interest in Mbappe.
Appearing on the Twitch stream of Jota Real Madrid, the journalist claimed that Real Madrid do not intend to ‘start the wheel again’ with the French superstar as they felt that things had gone too far last summer.
Instead, Los Blancos wish to use the money that they would have spent on Mbappe to sign someone else. At this point, a new midfielder is seen as a top priority at the Santiago Bernabeu, with two options being pursued with eagerness.
Jude Bellingham of Borussia Dortmund is Real Madrid’s top target while the Merengues are also looking at SL Benfica’s Enzo Fernandez, who was named the Best Young Player at the World Cup following his performances for Argentina.
Neither is expected to come cheap, with Fernandez having a massive release clause of €120 million, while Bellingham’s valuation is said to be around the same figure as well.
And Real Madrid plan to spend heavily on one of those two midfielders next summer and, at this point, are not considering a move for Mbappe.
The 24-year-old will again enter the final year of his contract with PSG in the summer of 2023, which will only lead to speculations over his future intensifying by the day. But, at the moment, it does not seem like he is being considered by Real Madrid.
Real Madrid fans were dealt with a massive blow when star player Antonio Rudiger was left out of the squad against Real Valladolid, allegedly due to knee discomfort.
The injury sparked fears over his absence in the upcoming Copa Del Rey semifinal against Barcelona.
However, according to a report from Sergio Quirante, Rudiger’s knee injury is not thought to be serious. It appears the decision to leave him out of the squad against Valladolid may only be a precaution, with the defender set to undergo ultrasonic tests tomorrow.
Rudiger, whose injury scare came just 48 hours before Real Madrid’s big game against Barcelona, has been a stellar success in the club’s backline this season.
The German international has emerged as a real leader at the back, using his experience and authority to good effect. Although Real Madrid’s defence has left a lot to be desired this season, Rudiger has been one of the bright sparks.
His potential absence, therefore, could serve as a major blow for Los Blancos, in their hopes to reach the Copa Del Rey semifinal next week.
Real Madrid are heading into this semifinal with a 1-0 defeat in the first leg, meaning keeping a clean sheet could be mandatory if they are to overturn the deficit and book a place in the final. Rudiger, in that regard, could prove to be a vital asset.
In the meantime, Real Madrid are heading into the Valladolid game with David Alaba and Eder Militao as two of the only reliable centre-backs in the team. Among the two, Alaba has struggled with injuries this season, so it will be interesting to see how Carlo Ancelotti deals with this tricky situation this afternoon.
