Real Madrid News
Real Madrid outcast on the radars of two Italian giants ahead of the January window
Alvaro Odriozola has endured a torrid season so far at Real Madrid. The Spanish right-back is the only player from the first-team squad to not have played a single minute of competitive football for Carlo Ancelotti’s side this season.
Following a decent loan spell at Fiorentina last season, the former Real Sociedad ace had returned to the Spanish capital club with hope of reigniting his career that had stalled in recent times.
But with no change in his situation at the Santiago Bernabeu, a January exit could be on the cards for Odriozola when the January transfer window opens for business next week.
And, according to Mundo Deportivo, two Italian giants in AC Milan and AS Roma could be interested in offering Odriozola an escape route out of Real Madrid in the winter.
The 27-year-old has been with Los Blancos since 2018 when he joined from Real Sociedad, but has failed to carve out a place for himself in the setup, with Dani Carvajal and Lucas Vazquez firmly ahead of him in the pecking order.
Odriozola has had two spells away on loan from the Santiago Bernabeu, with the right-back spending the second half of the 2019/20 season at Bayern Munich and then playing for Fiorentina in the previous campaign.
During his time at Real Madrid, the Spaniard has made just 43 appearances, contributing with three goals and ten assists.
But with Los Merengues looking at the possibility of making Vinicius Tobias’ transfer permanent, there does not seem to be any space for Odriozola at Real Madrid.
An exit in the January window, thus, could be the best possible option for all parties involved. And a transfer to either Milan and Roma, where he could play at a high level and participate in European football could certainly appeal to Odriozola.
Whether an exit materialises or he continues to warm the benches at the Bernabeu in the second half of the season will be interesting to see.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool monitoring 19-year-old Bundesliga wonderkid – Romano
According to Fabrizio Romano, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Liverpool are all monitoring Bayer Leverkusen and Germany wonderkid Florian Wirtz.
After recovering from his ACL injury, the teenage sensation has been slowly working his way back to his best form. So far this term, Wirtz has managed to rack up a tally of two goals and six assists from 13 matches in all competitions.
The 19-year-old’s talent and potential have never been in question and hence it does not come as a surprise that elite clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Liverpool are all keeping tabs on the German international.
A versatile attacking midfielder, Wirtz is capable of playing anywhere in the final third of the pitch and backs up with top-notch end product. Be it as a false-nine or in a more withdrawn role, the youngster has excelled for Bayer Leverkusen, catching the attention of top teams.
Real Madrid, for their part, are also understood to be among Wirtz’s admirers. Given the situation surrounding Karim Benzema’s fitness and the lack of backup at the top, the youngster could be an option, as he has shown potential while operating through the middle.
But Barcelona also have a strong interest in the teenager with reports even suggesting that they have already made contact with his father to enquire about his situation.
At the same time, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is understood to be a huge admirer of his fellow German and with Roberto Firmino on his way out, Wirtz could be lined up as a possible replacement.
However, Romano adds that the expectation is that Wirtz could stay at Bayer Leverkusen for one more year and depart Germany once the UEFA Euro 2024 is out of the way.
For now, there have been talks or negotiations with any clubs, but Real Madrid, Barcelona and Liverpool are all tracking Wirtz and his progress in Germany.
