Real Madrid News
Real Madrid locker room not worried about recent run of form ahead of El Clasico
Real Madrid have not made the best of starts after the resumption of club football following the World Cup break.
The Merengues were pushed to the brink by Real Valladolid in La Liga and then barely managed to against lower league side Cacereno in Copa del Rey before eating a loss against Villarreal in the league.
Then, Carlo Ancelotti’s men went through a difficult time to get past Valencia in the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals and had to rely on penalties to make it through to the next phase.
The decline in performance levels in recent matches has created some skepticism surrounding the current champions of Spain and Europe.
However, according to MARCA, the Real Madrid locker room is not worried about the recent run of results and believe it is just a ‘bad moment’ that will pass.
Up next for Los Blancos is the Spanish Super Cup final where they will face arch-rivals Barcelona in an El Clasico.
While the locker room and coaches are not overly concerned about the current situation, Ancelotti has reportedly asked for his team to show greater intensity and focus during matches, the lack of which has cost them during the games against Villarreal and Valencia.
On top of that injuries to several players is another issue that the Merengues are having to deal with. But they understand that it is a part and parcel of the game and are preparing for the final on Sunday according to plans.
While there may be some alarm bells going off, the locker room, as such, is confident that the situation can be turned around with one important victory.
Real Madrid are looking towards a heavy splurge in the coming summer transfer window. After all, they do not even have another option given the sheer number of player departures already finalized.
Los Blancos have lost the services of Karim Benzema, Marco Asensio, Mariano Diaz, and Eden Hazard over the past week. While three of the four players predominantly featured on the bench, their presence in the squad gave Carlo Ancelotti’s side much-needed depth and a cushion of sorts.
The forward unit is, thus, the most prioritized department ahead of the transfer window. However, pieces are beginning to fall apart on other fronts and could potentially put the club in a difficult situation.
According to reports from Gianluca Di Marzio, Juventus are eyeing Lucas Vazquez and hope to sign him in the coming month. Contacts between the two parties have begun and the transfer fee discussed appears to be around the €6 million to €8 million ballpark given that he has just one year left on his contract.
The player, for his part, is willing to sign for the Italian giants given his relative lack of minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu. At 31 years of age, he understandably does not want to play a second-fiddle role.
Vasquez played part in 23 of Real Madrid’s 38 La Liga games last season, starting only on 12 occasions. Even in his few appearances, he averaged a mere 50 minutes per game.
The veteran completed the season with four goals and an assist to his name. Further, he averaged five defensive actions and a key pass in every game and feels hard done by his limited role.
Vazquez’s departure would place the club in a tricky situation as it would leave Real Madrid with only Dani Carvajal as a natural right-back option. Nacho Fernandez could, in theory, serve as the backup but a new signing for the position cannot be ruled out.
