Real Madrid News
Real Madrid midfielder ‘obsessed’ with winning the Copa del Rey trophy – report
Toni Kroos boasts of a trophy cabinet that very few others in football can. Having won the UEFA Champions League, La Liga, and FIFA World Cup amongst other prestigious competitions, he has almost won every competition he has participated in.
The one accolade missing from his resume, however, is the Copa del Rey. According to reports from MARCA, the German midfielder is obsessed with winning the Copa del Rey as it is the only trophy stopping him from completing his collection at Real Madrid.
Real Madrid have not shared a special history with the King’s Cup, winning it just 19 times compared to Barcelona’s 35. While it is not as big a trophy as the other competitions Real Madrid participates in, the fact that they have struggled in the competition in recent years stands true.
It has now been nine years since the Merengues were last crowned Copa del Rey champions. Alarmingly, they have won it just five times in the last 40 years.
Kroos joined Real Madrid in 2014, just after the men in white won the competition in a thrilling Clasico final win. Nine trophy-less Copa del Rey campaigns later, he finds himself 180 minutes away from the title.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men take on Barcelona in the second leg of the semifinal later today and must overturn a one-goal deficit if they are to qualify for the finals. With La Liga being a lost cause, the Merengues will be determined to push for the cup and win an important piece of silverware.
Kroos is expected to play a part in midfield during El Clasico but is not assured a starting spot as Ancelotti confirmed in his pre-match press conference.
With Barcelona missing big names like Pedri, Ousmane Dembele and Frenkie de Jong, Real Madrid can hope to control and dominate the proceedings by winning the midfield battle at Spotify Camp Nou.
Real Madrid News
Harry Kane ‘very close’ to completing Real Madrid move, only final details remain – report
Jude Bellingham’s move to Real Madrid was finally closed earlier today as officially confirmed by Borussia Dortmund on their website. Yet, the offices at Santiago Bernabeu have not even taken a break to celebrate their success.
According to reports from Alfredo Pedullà, Los Blancos are now completely focused on the acquisition of Harry Kane. The English striker’s arrival is very close to approaching closure and only a few details remain to be sorted.
The Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur representatives reportedly held a meeting today over the striker’s transfer. The agenda was to agree on a number for the transfer fee.
The Premier League side began the proceedings with an expectation of €100 to €110 million in exchange for Kane. However, the Merengues suggested a lower point at €80 to €90 million, albeit with the option to include bonuses.
There is not much separating the two parties at the moment, and the minor gap will be bridged in the coming days. Overall, the meeting ended with a broad understanding between the two clubs.
Carlo Ancelotti sees the English striker as the centre-piece of his attack for next season given the recent departure of Karim Benzema. After all, Kane has been one of football’s most consistent goalscorers over the past decade.
Yet, Los Blancos cannot afford to let their guard down with one signing and will need to rope in at least two more names in attack to serve as backup options. The exits of Mariano Diaz, Marco Asensio, and Eden Hazard leave them with no squad depth, after all.
Kane has scored 30, 17, and 23 goals in his last three seasons in the Premier League and is the epitome of consistency. Further, he had three assists in his most recent league season and created 14 big chances.
