Real Madrid News
Real Madrid midfield stalwart refuses to leave amid Manchester United interest
Manchester United’s search for a quality midfielder moved from Barcelona to Real Madrid earlier this week. The English giants were initially interested in Frenkie de Jong but turned their eyes to Casemiro after the Dutchman rejected their approach.
According to reports from COPE, the Brazilian midfielder has no intention of leaving Real Madrid and is not even considering a move away from the Bernabeu.
The Red Devils were willing to double the veteran’s wages which would come to a figure of €430,000 per week. The economic pull, however, was not sufficient to change his mind.
This is not surprising considering the poor management and performance of Manchester United this season. Moreover, Casemiro continues to be a regular starter under Carlo Ancelotti and has no reason to look for a future away from the club.
The arrival of Aurelien Tchouameni signals competition for the defensive midfield position. However, it is natural for the club to be concerned about the future, especially given that Casemiro is now 30 years of age.
The Brazilian started the game against Eintracht Frankfurt last week and helped his side to a 2-0 win. It was his assist to David Alaba that opened the scoring on the night.
Last season, he made 31 La Liga starts for Real Madrid, scoring one goal and providing three assists. He also started every UEFA Champions League clash for his side and over 13 defensive actions per game.
Casemiro’s contract with Real Madrid does not expire until the summer of 2025. Given that the player will be close to 33 years then, it remains to be seen if his performances warrant an extension at that point in time.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid not worried about Bellingham’s knee injury, Dortmund asking for €150 million
Heading into the 2023 summer transfer window, Real Madrid had one main priority on their minds – signing Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund amidst interest from several other parties involved.
With Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool also chasing his signature, Madrid knew it was going to take a lot more than just a €120 million offer and a blank cheque to convince Bellingham.
Eventually, it seems the player’s desire to join Madrid came through. He rejected advances from the Premier League, and eventually chose the defending Champions League winners as his next home.
There are certainly doubts with the transfer, though, as there would be, with any €120 million signing. With this transfer, it is Bellingham’s knee troubles. The Englishman might have to undergo surgery to treat his knee, and is also expected to miss England’s EURO 2024 qualifiers.
A knee surgery at the age of 19 would, and probably should be a scary prospect for any player and club. Real Madrid, though, are not worried, as per a report by SPORT1.
They want him to form a ‘royal midfield’ quadrant with Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga, and Federico Valverde.
The transfer is expected to close next week, as Borussia Dortmund advanced negotiations with Real Madrid after losing the Bundesliga title on the final matchday.
The two club presidents, Hans-Joachim Watzke and Florentino Perez, have a ton of mutual respect for one another, and want the transfer to be closed promptly so both clubs can move forward with the rest of the transfer window.
For Dortmund, that means finding a replacement for Bellingham, and reinforcing their squad to challenge for the Bundesliga title next season. For Madrid, meanwhile, it would mean finding Karim Benzema’s replacement.
The final details of the transfer fee are still remaining, though, with Dortmund hoping to get nearly €150 million out of the deal.
