Real Madrid News
Real Madrid left ‘shocked’ by club legend’s decision to leave
Real Madrid have been planning for the summer transfer window for a long time now. Taking into account the individual performances, coherence on the field, and the age of the players involved, the management had a list of priorities in mind for June.
Now, all of a sudden, nothing seems clear once again. Real Madrid’s current situation is ironic, yet understandable considering how volatile decisions can be in the world of football.
According to reports from Santi Aouna, Los Blancos are shocked that Karim Benzema has decided to leave the club. All signs had pointed towards his imminent continuity and the sudden turn of the tables has the management shaken up.
Not many expected a dramatic change of decision from the Frenchman. Real Madrid’s transfer plans now lie in jeopardy and have completely changed as the Madrid-based club must urgently allocate a big part of their summer budget to a striker.
With Florentino Perez already eyeing a big striker signing in 2024, the management had complete faith in Benzema to cover the number nine role for one more season, however.
With Jude Bellingham’s deal already working out to be around the €100 million mark, another big striker signing would not leave Real Madrid with enough margin to reinforce other positions of priority.
As it stands, it appears that the Copa de Rey champions will sign a temporary replacement next season. Come 2024, Kylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland will most likely be the prime target.
Benzema, meanwhile, is close to completing a move to Al-Ittihad. An official announcement has not yet arrived, but one can expect an update over the next 24 hours.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid full-back never considered summer exit, would retire at club if given chance
Ferland Mendy finds himself in a difficult situation at Real Madrid. The Frenchman has struggled with injury and fitness woes for a large part of the past year, leading to doubts over his future at the club.
In fact, it had been reported that Los Blancos were considering selling Mendy during the summer transfer window earlier this year itself.
But, such a move did not materialise and the 28-year-old has stayed put at the Santiago Bernabeu although reports suggest that he is likely to be on the move next year.
Mendy would retire at Real Madrid if he could
Despite there having been numerous reports about his future in the summer, The Athletic reports that Mendy did not consider the possibility of an exit at any point.
In fact, the report adds that if given a chance, the 28-year-old defender would retire at Real Madrid.
Mendy’s contract with Los Merengues expires in 2025 and he is understood to be seeking a renewal for a while now, but there has been no move made by the club.
The injuries that the 28-year-old has picked up are understood to be a major deterrent for Real Madrid, which is why they are already looking to reinforce the left-back position with Alphonso Davies next year.
Mendy enjoys Ancelotti’s trust
Despite the non-stop speculations surrounding him, Mendy continues to enjoy the full trust of manager Carlo Ancelotti.
Indeed, as per the report, the Italian tactician has informed the Frenchman that he is the left-back that best fits the defensive requirements needed in the team.
Ancelotti’s decision to bench Fran Garcia in the UEFA Champions League game even though Mendy was unavailable and start David Alaba at left-back was taken as an indicator within the dressing room that the Frenchman remains the first-choice in the position.
So, it remains to be seen how the situation unfolds over the coming months, especially with Ancelotti’s future also uncertain as his contract expires in 2024.
Kay De
June 1, 2023 at 1:16 pm
Already a legend. He should be allowed to move on.