Real Madrid News
Real Madrid rejected €35 million Galatasaray offer for 23-year-old midfielder – report
The last week of the summer transfer window at Real Madrid ended with little activity beyond the signing of Sergio Martinez and the departures of several more academy players, including David Jimenez and Manuel Angel.
Jose Mourinho had considered his squad complete for some time, and the club ultimately backed his decision.
There was, however, considerable speculation surrounding several players, particularly Eduardo Camavinga, whose performances have declined significantly over the past two years.
Now, it has emerged that the French midfielder could have left the Spanish capital club following a late approach from Galatasaray.
Galatasaray’s €35 million offer rejected
Italian journalist Michael Pavese of TuttoMercato (h/t Defensa Central) claims that Galatasaray offered Real Madrid €35 million for Camavinga.
The proposal was immediately rejected by the club, who considered the figure insufficient for a 23-year-old midfielder contracted until 2029.
It must be noted that Premier League clubs had indicated earlier in the summer that they could be prepared to pay around €50-60 million for Camavinga.
Real Madrid, for their part, were open to offers, but only in the region of €70 million or more.
Galatasaray’s offer, in that regard, was half of what Los Blancos were looking for, leading to an immediate rejection from the club.
Camavinga wants to stay, has Mourinho’s backing
Real Madrid had doubts about Camavinga’s recent form, but the lack of a sufficiently attractive offer, combined with the player’s desire to remain at Valdebebas, ultimately led the club to keep him.
The Merengues continue to rate the midfielder highly, particularly given how young he was when he joined and the progress he initially made.
His recent decline has been a concern, but the club opted to respect his decision and support him through his lean patch.
Camavinga, for his part, has remained determined to stay in Spain despite the uncertainty surrounding his position in the squad. The midfielder has also made it clear that he is excited about working with Mourinho.
The Portuguese coach, for his part, has shown confidence in Camavinga despite not guaranteeing him regular minutes this season.
Mourinho handed Camavinga his first start of the campaign against Malaga and the player responded with an encouraging performance.
“Today a player who isn’t very loved played a great game, and that’s Camavinga,” the manager said after the game.
For now, the Galatasaray approach has come and gone, while Camavinga remains at Real Madrid with Mourinho determined to help him rediscover his best form.
Real Madrid’s adventure so far under new coach Jose Mourinho has been far from perfect and this fact shouldn’t be lost even after the team’s brilliant comeback win over AS Roma in midweek.
However, there are areas where Los Blancos have shown a clear improvement under Mourinho, when compared to previous bosses such as Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa.
One of those areas has been set plays, with Real Madrid appearing far more potent from set pieces this season.
A clear improvement from last season
As reported by Diario AS, the three goals in Rome, all from Arda Guler corners inside a seven-minute blitz, were the perfect advert for the work being done at Valdebebas.
Those strikes took Real Madrid’s set-piece tally to seven goals in just ten matches this season. Four of them have come in La Liga, one from a corner and three from free kicks, with the trio in Rome completing the haul.
It is a striking figure when set against last season’s return. Under Alonso and Arbeloa, Madrid managed 12 set-piece goals across the entire campaign, all in La Liga, split evenly between six from corners and six from free kicks.
On current trends, this side looks well placed to surpass that number comfortably.
The reason behind Real Madrid’s improvement
Attacking set pieces are led at Valdebebas by Pedro Machado, with the whole coaching staff involved and Mourinho himself giving the final green light on every routine.
Defending them, meanwhile, falls to Sami Khedira, though it is treated as a collective effort. Mourinho’s appreciation of that teamwork was clear when Bellingham headed in a Guler free kick against Espanyol, prompting the manager to leap up and embrace his assistants.
Machado, one of Mourinho’s most trusted lieutenants, has followed him from Fenerbahce to Benfica and now Madrid, part of a backroom team blending experience with young, ambitious talent.
On the pitch, Guler is the undisputed master when available, his left foot the key weapon, with Bernardo Silva, Trent Alexander-Arnold and even Diomande also trusted to initiate attacks.
Such meticulous strategy has helped Real Madrid turn into a potent side from set-pieces this season.
