Real Madrid News
Real Madrid heavyweight will reject €80 million Saudi offer, has signed a renewal
In a major development, MARCA is reporting that Real Madrid veteran Luka Modric will reject a massive €80 million contract offer from Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia in order to stay put at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Modric, 37, sees his current contract with Real Madrid expire on June 30. And while it was reported that a renewal was tied up, recent reports suggested that the Croatian international was considering a move to Saudi Arabia after receiving lucrative offers.
Only earlier today, it was reported that Al-Hilal were offering Modric a contract worth £120 million across two years. Meanwhile, it appears that Al-Ahli were also courting the midfield legend and were prepared to hand him a deal worth €80 million per season.
However, as per the report, Modric has no desire to accept any offers from Saudi Arabia despite them being tempting.
The 37-year-old midfielder dreams of playing at Real Madrid for one more year and wishes to end his career at the club where he has won five UEFA Champions League titles. The former Tottenham Hotspur ace also wants to experience the new Santiago Bernabeu.
As such, Modric is prepared to reject the advances of Saudi Arabia and stay put at Real Madrid, rather than following in the footsteps of his former teammate Karim Benzema, who left the club for Al-Ittihad earlier this month.
In fact, Arancha Rodriguez (via RM4Arab), reports that Modric has already signed his contract renewal with Real Madrid until 2024, ending all speculations about his future and any possible transfer to the Middle East.
With Jude Bellingham arriving imminently, Modric’s role at the Bernabeu could reduce to some extent. Despite that, the Croatian international intends to stay put at Real Madrid for one more year.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid retain total confidence in Carlo Ancelotti despite derby disaster – report
Sunday night was a disappointing one for Real Madrid as they succumbed to a 3-1 defeat to arch-rivals Atletico Madrid in the Madrid derby at the Civitas Metropolitano.
The Merengues suffered their first defeat of the 2023/24 season as former striker Alvaro Morata scored a brace for the Rojiblancos while Antoine Griezmann was also on target.
Real Madrid might be feeling aggrieved by some of the calls made by the referee on the night but they were just not good enough to secure all three points at the Metropolitano.
Real Madrid retain full confidence in Ancelotti
Despite the disappointing performance and outcome, Real Madrid retain their full and total confidence in manager Carlo Ancelotti, reports Jose Felix Diaz (via RM4Arab).
There had been question marks about the team selection made by the manager for the derby against Atletico Madrid.
After all, the Italian opted to bench Joselu from the starting XI to bring in Luka Modric and shift the tactics.
Aurelien Tchouameni was also left out despite being one of the team’s strongest performers this season with Toni Kroos being preferred.
The Real Madrid hierarchy wishes for the manager to trust the next-gen midfield for the big games but Ancelotti’s selection indicated that he is still not ready to do so.
Despite there being some differences, the board retains full confidence in Ancelotti.
Ancelotti accepts blame for defeat
It was a disappointing performance from Real Madrid in their biggest test of the 2023/24 season so far and speaking after the match, manager Ancelotti accepted the blame for the outcome.
“Maybe I could have done it better. It’s pretty clear. When the team doesn’t do what it has to do, it’s my responsibility. It’s my fault,” Ancelotti said.
With the game done and dusted, Real Madrid now turn their focus towards producing a strong comeback when they face Las Palmas later this week.
