Real Madrid News
Real Madrid interested in 21-year-old La Liga striker – report
Carlo Ancelotti and Florentino Perez do not see eye to eye with respect to Real Madrid’s centre-forward crisis. As it stands, the club have only Karim Benzema as a starting option for the number nine role and rumours of his departure have understandably taken the offices by storm.
The manager wishes to sign a top-quality striker in June for he sees the lack of a clinical finisher as an impediment to next season’s run. Perez and the administration, however, are looking only for a stop-gap fix.
The president wishes to sign either Kylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland next year and a big striker signing now would form a hurdle on that objective. Thus, the options on his radar include Joselu and Roberto Firmino.
According to reports from MARCA, Real Madrid are also keeping close tabs on Nicolas Jackson. The youngster has enjoyed a breakthrough season in La Liga and has been one of Villarreal’s most effective players in the final third.
The youngster made his debut for the senior Villarreal setup last season but was ineffective in his nine appearances in La Liga. With no goals and an average of just 0.6 shots per game, he still had much to learn in the trade.
This season has been a completely different story. Jackson has played 25 games for the Yellow Submarines so far, scoring 11 goals from an xG of just 7.7. Further, he has provided four assists, and created seven big chances, while he averages just under one key pass per game.
The 21-year-old is one of the league’s finest young talents at the moment and is touted to have a high ceiling. His contract with the club runs until June 2026, and it is clear that he will not cost as much as the likes of Harry Kane or Dusan Vlahovic.
The Senegalese striker could thus be the perfect signing for Real Madrid next season. His arrival would provide Ancelotti with a valuable option in the final third while still keeping the manager’s plans for next summer alive.
There just does not appear to be any respite from injuries for Real Madrid.
Just when it appeared that they were close to having their full squad – barring the two long-term absentees – the Merengues have been struck down by fresh injuries this week.
Arda Guler, who was on the cusp of being named in the squad for the Las Palmas clash, injured himself in training on Tuesday.
And now, during the game against Las Palmas at the Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid have lost key defender David Alaba to an injury.
Close to the 40th-minute mark, Alaba went down on the ground clutching his leg and appeared to be in quite a bit of discomfort.
Soon enough, the medical staff arrived to take a look at the Austrian and seconds later he was off the pitch and straight towards the tunnel.
Lucas Vazquez came on to replace the injured Alaba, with Nacho Fernandez moving into the centre-back position alongside Antonio Rudiger.
Alaba’s injury leaves Carlo Ancelotti with just two fit centre-backs in Rudiger and Nacho, which is set to be a matter of great concern.
The hope will be that Alaba’s condition is nothing serious and that he is able to mount a quick recovery.
