Real Madrid News
Real Madrid not willing to go over €120 million for priority summer target – report
By this point, it is no longer a secret that Real Madrid have made Jude Bellingham their top transfer target for the summer window later this year.
The 19-year-old has emerged as the most preferred candidate to replace Luka Modric in the long run at the Santiago Bernabeu, although it remains likely that the veteran will stay at the club for one more year.
However, Real Madrid are having to face stiff competition from Liverpool and Manchester City in the race for the England international.
Indeed, both the Premier League clubs also have their sights set on a summer move for Bellingham, complicating matters for the Merengues.
But, according to AS, Real Madrid do not intend to get into a bidding war with Manchester City and Liverpool in the race to sign Bellingham. And Los Blancos are not prepared to push for his services if the transfer fee goes past the €120 million mark.
Real Madrid believe that they cannot compete with the financial muscle of the Premier League giants and thus do not want to enter into a bidding war be it over the transfer fee or the player’s wages.
The same has been conveyed to Bellingham by the European champions as they believe that their history and success should be enough to attract the player without overpaying for him.
While the three clubs battle it out for the Englishman’s signing, his current team, Borussia Dortmund, are also unwilling to go down without a fight and want to keep him at Signal Iduna Park for at least one more season.
To that end, they are even considering offering him a new bumper contract which would make the teenager the highest-earning player at the club. A decision from Bellingham is understood to be imminent, with the player set to meet BVB officials in the near future to discuss his future.
And, it remains to be seen which way the former Birmingham City starlet leans as Real Madrid, Liverpool and Man City lie in wait.
After a month into the new season, Aurelien Tchouameni is finally back in action for Real Madrid.
The Frenchman made his first appearance of the season for the Merengues last night against Inter Milan after recovering from the muscular injury that delayed his campaign.
His return to fitness had raised questions over where he would fit into Mourinho’s plans.
Tchouameni has been a regular in Real Madrid’s midfield for several seasons under different managers, but the end of last season was far less straightforward.
His confrontation with Federico Valverde, combined with speculation over his future at the club, created uncertainty about his position. His lack of a proper pre-season also appeared to put him behind other midfield options.
Bernardo Silva had established himself as an important figure, while Eduardo Camavinga was also ahead of Tchouameni in terms of match fitness.
With Real Madrid looking for greater creativity in midfield, there were questions over whether the Frenchman would still be a first-choice player.
Key for Mourinho
According to AS (h/t Bernabeu Digital), however, Mourinho has no such doubts. Tchouameni remains a key player for the Portuguese coach and is expected to be a starter.
Mourinho sees the French international as a midfielder without a direct replacement in the squad.
For Jose, Tchouameni provides something that none of the other midfielders in the squad do – a more defensive and positional presence, combining his tactical discipline with considerable physical strength.
His ability to shield the defence and provide balance could be particularly important for a Real Madrid side that want to defend aggressively and attack quickly in transition.
For that reason, his absence at the start of the campaign has not changed the manager’s view of his importance.
Mourinho faces a midfield selection problem
The challenge for Mourinho now is finding a way to fit all the pieces together.
If Tchouameni is guaranteed a starting position and Valverde is considered untouchable as captain, the obvious consequence is that Bernardo could find himself starting from the bench.
The summer arrival had been given an important role in helping Real Madrid control and distribute possession from deeper positions.
However, with Tchouameni and Valverde both occupying midfield places, Mourinho cannot accommodate everyone in the same lineup.
How the Portuguese coach manages that competition will be interesting to see in the coming weeks.
