Real Madrid News
Real Madrid outcast uninterested in joining Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr
Eden Hazard has been the focal point of the transfer market lately, particularly in Saudi Arabia, with the forward being linked with a move to Al Nassr.
Having fallen out of favour at Santiago Bernabeu, the Belgian is expected to depart in the coming summer, especially with his contract expiring in 2024.
However, according to a recent report from The Athletic, Hazard’s future might not lie in Saudi Arabia. It appears Al Nassr do not have any plans to sign the former Chelsea superstar, which refutes earlier speculations linking him to a move to the Saudi giants.
Furthermore, it is also claimed that Hazard himself as no desire to join the Middle East outfit at this point.
The report goes on to suggest that Al Nassr currently have no plans to build a ‘super-team’. This comes in the midst of claims that the club are looking to attract more stars from Europe after securing the services of Cristiano Ronaldo earlier this year.
The likes of Luka Modric and Sergio Ramos have been targeted as part of their reported plans to make Al Nassr one of the biggest clubs in Asian football and to promote Saudi Arabian football in general.
Hazard, to that end, could have been an excellent addition to the league. But as per the report, the Belgian himself has no desire to move to Saudi just yet. It appears the forward has not made a decision just yet.
However, one would expect Real Madrid to force the former Chelsea star into making a decision in the near future.
The player, after all, has faced major difficulties establishing himself as a first-team regular and with his contract expiring in 2024, the coming summer will represent Real Madrid’s only chance at offloading the player and receiving a transfer fee in exchange.
A lot will depend on the coming months as Real Madrid look to build the foundation of a future attack, which in turn, could involve the departure of existing stars.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho talks Carlos Espi, Diomande, Guler, Tchouameni, Atletico Madrid after Elche 2-3 Real Madrid
Real Madrid found another way to win, but Jose Mourinho was hardly celebrating the manner of it.
Carlos Espi’s injury-time strike completed a 3-2 comeback against Elche, rescuing Madrid after they had surrendered control of a game that appeared to be in their hands.
For Mourinho, the result was welcome, but the performance raised a familiar concern.
“When everything seems easy and you let things slide, it’s dangerous. Then the team reacts and wins, but it’s not pleasant.
“The other good thing is that nobody gets bored with these matches. They’re fun,” he began saying.
Mourinho knows what is going wrong
The Portuguese coach was particularly frustrated by another drop in intensity after the interval.
Real Madrid had opportunities to put the game beyond Elche before allowing their advantage to disappear. Mourinho believes that pattern is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
“It seems obvious to me. It’s easy to understand. These are games that are all but over, where we have chances to seal the deal but don’t. After failing to do so, we go from having it easy to losing control.
“If we play poorly from the first minute to the 90th, the concern is huge.
“If we have periods where we’re at our best and others where we’re not proactive, just waiting, lacking intensity… Of course it’s a concern. But we won.”
The win keeps Madrid moving, but Mourinho’s concern is less about the points than the way his team is repeatedly making matches unnecessarily complicated.
Carlos Espi again provided the decisive moment from the bench, although Mourinho knows breaking into the starting XI will be difficult with Mbappé ahead of him.
“He’s a guy who works hard and is very motivated,” Mourinho said.
He then added, “He’s up against a player who’s in a league of his own (Mbappe), and we’re well aware of that.”
Madrid derby comes at a delicate moment
Next up is Atletico Madrid, and Mourinho’s attention is already turning towards the derby.
Rather than focusing on the opposition, he remains concerned about his own side’s ability to manage matches.
“The only explanation I can find is that we can’t keep going like this. We misjudged the opportunities we had, and once they score a goal, everything changes,” explained the Real Madrid coach.
Meanwhile, there were positives to take from individual performances, as Mourinho praised Yan Diomande’s development after another energetic outing.
“He’s improving. Physically, you can tell he has more minutes under his belt. He has a great work ethic and intelligence—he’s done a great job.”
Mourinho refuses to call Guler indispensable
Arda Guler’s importance was also questioned after another fantastic performance, but Mourinho rejected the idea that any player is beyond replacement.
“No, no one is indispensable. We were losing control when I made the substitutions; Vini did a great job on defence, but he was very tired.
“And Arda, who was playing in the number 10 position, was also losing intensity.
“I brought in a fresh Jude and Brahim when we were down 0-2, but I could sense we were losing control. That’s how it goes for us. And then, we brought in the heavy artillery and turned it around.”
Mourinho was also pleased with Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde during Madrid’s strongest spells.
“When the team was playing well, he and Valverde were playing well. They broke through the pressure easily, with skill.
“But the game had two phases—or rather three: one until it was 0–2, another until it was 2–2, and another until the end. They did a good job,” he concluded.
Source: AS
