Real Madrid News
Real Madrid not prepared to spend over €100m for Ancelotti’s preferred No. 9 target
Over the past few weeks, Real Madrid have been linked with a plethora of centre-forwards, following the surprise departure of former captain Karim Benzema.
One of the players mentioned most as a target is Tottenham Hotspur superstar Harry Kane. The 29-year-old England captain is entering the final year of his contract at the North London outfit and is considering an exit so that he can win trophies.
And, as per a report from Mario Cortegana of The Athletic, while Real Madrid did consider the possibility of making a move, they never really believe there was a ‘realistic’ chance of a move.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti wanted Kane as his preferred option to reinforce the No. 9 position owing to the complications that would be involved in the pursuit of other targets like Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.
And the Italian conveyed the same to club president Florentino Perez and CEO Jose Angel Sanchez during a meeting in early June. Both the officials were on board with the idea as well and promised Ancelotti that efforts would be made to sign Kane.
However, at the same time, the Real Madrid boss was also warned that there would be complications in the pursuit and the operation would be difficult to complete due to Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy.
Los Blancos are aware of Levy’s reputation as a difficult negotiator, which made them believe that the transfer was never ‘realistic’.
Furthermore, Real Madrid were aware that Kane would cost in excess of €100 million in the summer and they were not prepared to spend so much on a player considering that his contract has just one year left and that he turns 30 next month.
So, despite Kane being open to the idea of a move to Real Madrid and Ancelotti preferring a move for him, there was never a realistic chance of the transfer materialising. And the operation took a further hit with the Kylian Mbappe saga re-emerging again.
Instead, Kane could now be on his way to Bayern Munich, with the Bavarian giants tabling an initial €70 million offer which will very likely be dismissed by Spurs.
Real Madrid News
Bellingham on his special assist in Girona 0-3 Real Madrid: “Been watching Luka every day”
Real Madrid usurped the top spot in the La Liga standings from arch-rivals FC Barcelona as they defeated Girona 3-0 away at Estadi Montilivi.
It was a fine performance from Carlo Ancelotti’s men against Michel’s side, with the returning Jude Bellingham leading the way for his team.
After being benched against Las Palmas in midweek, the England international returned to the starting XI today and turned in yet another Man of the Match display for Real Madrid.
It all started with Joselu opening the scoring just 15 minutes into the game, with Bellingham assisting the goal with a special, outside-of-the-boot pass from the left side, bringing back memories of Luka Modric doing something similar a few years ago.
Talking about that special pass, Bellingham said: “I’ve been watching Luka every day for months. I just want to be creative. It took the pressure off us at the start.”
On the match and the result, the 20-year-old stated that it was a good day across the board for Real Madrid, as he said: “It was an important win. They were doing very well. We made a statement of intent to La Liga. Three goals, a clean sheet….”
It has been a truly remarkable start to life at Real Madrid for Bellingham and expressing how he feels to play for the Merengues, he exclaimed:
“I feel very good. I have freedom of movement and I’m enjoying football. Whenever I put on this shirt I always try to do my best.”
Apart from assisting Joselu’s opener, Bellingham also got his name on the scoresheet in the second period. Talking about his goal, the wonderkid said:
“It wasn’t a very good finish. I could have scored some more, but the important thing is the victory.”
The strike meant that Bellingham now has seven goals and two assists across all competitions for Real Madrid. Reflecting on his brilliant start, he said:
“It’s a good start, not bad. I would like to continue on this path and I won’t always score or assist, but I will always give my best.”
Bellingham’s celebration has been a huge hit, with kids in school, players from other clubs, and many others mimicking it. When asked how his special celebration originated, he replied:
“I don’t know where I first celebrated. I think it was with Birmingham. It’s an inspiration to see kids doing it in schools. It’s a wonderful thing.”
Source: AS
