Real Madrid News
Real Madrid joined by Manchester City in race for Chelsea vice-captain
Real Madrid will enter the market for a top-quality midfielder in the upcoming summer transfer window.
While the likes of Vitinha and Rodri have been frequently mentioned as preferred targets, another player who is very much on Los Blancos’ radars is Chelsea vice-captain Enzo Fernandez.
The Argentine international is appreciated at Real Madrid, and the player himself seemed to flirt with the idea of a summer move with his comments during the international break, which even earned him an official two-match sanction from Chelsea.
Manchester City want Enzo Fernandez
Now, according to The Athletic, Manchester City have also entered the race to sign Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea this summer.
The Cityzens are preparing for the departure of captain Bernardo Silva, who has announced that he will leave this summer after his contract expires on 30 June.
Moreover, with Rodri’s future also not certain, they have identifed Fernandez as a possible reinforcement in the midfield department.
Real Madrid, for their part, very much admire the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner, but as per the report, it is not clear if they intend to make a move to sign him in the summer or not.
Chelsea are set to have a new manager in the summer, having sacked Liam Rosenior earlier this week. They are also set to miss out on qualification for the UEFA Champions League.
It will be interesting to see whether that has an impact on Fernandez’s decision about his future.
For now, Real Madrid are keeping an eye on the Argentine international and have been joined by Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the race.
One of the biggest positives for Real Madrid from the last season was the breakthrough of young midfielder Thiago Pitarch.
The 19-year-old La Fabrica prospect had been in the first-team dynamics since pre-season under Xabi Alonso, but finally got his senior debut under Alvaro Arbeloa at the turn of the year.
From that moment on, Pitarch did not look back at all, gaining prominence in the team and even starting important matches ahead of established players like Eduardo Camavinga and Dani Ceballos.
However, things have not gone as per plans for the teenager this season as he has yet to play a single minute of first-team football.
January loan no longer ruled out
As such, Diario AS now reports that Pitarch would consider leaving Real Madrid on loan during the January transfer window if his situation does not improve.
The teenage midfielder suffered an injury in pre-season which kept him sidelined for a few weeks, denying him an opportunity to start the season under Jose Mourinho.
By the time he returned, the Portuguese tactician had already identified his preferred hierarchy in midfield, with the likes of Federico Valverde, Bernardo Silva, Aurelien Tchouameni and Camavinga firmly ahead in the pecking order.
A stark difference from his debut season
In his debut season, Pitarch ended with 16 first-team appearances for Real Madrid with two assists to his name.
In contrast, this term, the academy graduate has been called up to the matchday squad for five games by Mourinho this term, but has yet to play a single minute of football.
Given the situation, he used the international break to jump down to Castilla and play close to 250 minutes across three games, during which he also registered an assist.
The situation is far from ideal for a young talent who needs regular minutes to continue his development and build on his impressive breakthrough campaign.
As such, the possibility of a departure on loan in January could be considered, after Pitarch turned down offers in the summer to stay at Real Madrid.
A lot will depend on how things evolve in the next couple of months, but a temporary exit cannot be ruled out.
