Real Madrid News
Real Madrid not convinced by 23-year-old star’s progression, could replace him in the summer
Andriy Lunin has found it hard to get regular game-time at Real Madrid. The 23-year-old goalkeeper joined the club from Zorya Luhansk in the summer of 2018 and spent time away on loan at Leganes, Real Valladolid, and Real Oviedo.
The Ukrainian international has been at the Santiago Bernabeu since the summer of 2020, but Thibaut Courtois’ supreme form has meant that Lunin has had to warm the bench regularly. Indeed, to date, Lunin has played just 12 times for Real Madrid, in which he has only three clean sheets.
The 23-year-old got a few matches earlier this season in the injury-enforced absence of Courtois. While he did put in a few commendable displays, it seems like manager Carlo Ancelotti is not entirely convinced of his abilities.
The Italian tactician opted to replace Lunin with Courtois for Real Madrid’s Copa del Rey Round of 16 clash against Villarreal earlier this month – a decision that is understood to have left the Ukrainian surprised.
Now, according to journalists Manuel Amor and Alfredo Matilla (h/t Sergio Santos), Real Madrid are not entirely convinced about Lunin’s development and progression and could look to replace him in the summer.
Lunin’s contract with Real Madrid runs until the summer of 2024 and he has been keen on staying put. But the recent developments could force him also to reconsider his stance on his future, especially if Ancelotti stays at the club.
The 23-year-old believes that he did perform well in the matches he has played this season and the feedback he has received from his peers has also been positive.
However, it seems like Ancelotti and his staff do not see things the same way and if the Italian remains in charge of the team beyond the ongoing campaign, Lunin could be shown the exit doors come summer.
There is no way back for Eden Hazard at Real Madrid. The Belgian international has not given the management any reason to have faith in his abilities over his past four seasons at the club and is unsurprisingly the most important departure for the Merengues in the summer.
Hazard has one more year on his contract in Madrid. However, it is clear that Carlo Ancelotti does not trust him and that any potential replacement manager in the summer will echo his stance.
According to reports from Mundo Deportivo, Fenerbahce are willing to go all out to sign Hazard this summer. The Turkish side have made the former Chelsea their prime target, yet face a steep task ahead of them.
The 32-year-old is hellbent on seeing out his contract with Los Blancos despite seeing his career sink right before his eyes. It thus becomes complicated for the party to lure away the forward, especially in a competition outside Europe’s top five leagues.
Fenerbahce attempted to sign the winger in the recently concluded winter transfer market. They reached an agreement with Real Madrid but failed to get over the line as they could not convince the player of the move.
The biggest obstacle for the Turkish side will be convincing Hazard to make the move by letting go of his lucrative contract in Madrid. The chances are slim, but not impossible.
Hazard has made just three league appearances and one start for Ancelotti’s side this season in La Liga, a steep fall from last season’s 18 and seven respectively.
His last appearance for the team came back in January when Real Madrid faced Cacereno in the Copa del Rey. In La Liga however, he last played in September 2022 in a 4-1 win over Mallorca.
