Real Madrid News
Real Madrid president confirms Ancelotti’s future at club: “We have another year”
Real Madrid have just won the Copa del Rey after a stunning run beating Villarreal, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona on the way. However, their situation two months ago was not as positive.
The end of February and the first half of March were turbulent periods for Carlo Ancelotti and his men. They had seemingly taken La Liga for granted and let it slip out of their hand.
Moreover, their Copa del Rey campaign was in danger with Barcelona holding the advantage at the halfway stage. Needless to say, the season appeared to be heading to ruins.
The manner in which Carlo Ancelotti turned the situation around from the beginning of April has been nothing short of stunning. Los Blancos are now Copa del Rey champions and three games away from Champions League glory.
Florentino Perez was questioned about Carlo Ancelotti’s future and his links to the Brazilian National Team after the Cup final on Saturday. The Real Madrid president did not want anything to do with the speculation and spoke in full support of the manager, as revealed by Fabrizio Romano.
“I don’t even want to hear about that. We have one more year on his contract. We are very happy with Ancelotti.”
Earlier this week, CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues confirmed yet again that Ancelotti was their primary target for the summer and even spoke about why they were interested in the Italian’s profile.
“I am not saying Ancelotti has an offer from us, but we are checking if he wants to come. We have a plan A and I say it for the first time honestly. There is no point in hiding this, he is favourite.”
Everything in Madrid points to the administration planning the next season with Ancelotti.
The manager will likely see out his contract at the Bernabeu before jumping to his next venture, and the CBF will have to wait a further 12 months if they insist on his acquisition.
Real Madrid are looking towards a heavy splurge in the coming summer transfer window. After all, they do not even have another option given the sheer number of player departures already finalized.
Los Blancos have lost the services of Karim Benzema, Marco Asensio, Mariano Diaz, and Eden Hazard over the past week. While three of the four players predominantly featured on the bench, their presence in the squad gave Carlo Ancelotti’s side much-needed depth and a cushion of sorts.
The forward unit is, thus, the most prioritized department ahead of the transfer window. However, pieces are beginning to fall apart on other fronts and could potentially put the club in a difficult situation.
According to reports from Gianluca Di Marzio, Juventus are eyeing Lucas Vazquez and hope to sign him in the coming month. Contacts between the two parties have begun and the transfer fee discussed appears to be around the €6 million to €8 million ballpark given that he has just one year left on his contract.
The player, for his part, is willing to sign for the Italian giants given his relative lack of minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu. At 31 years of age, he understandably does not want to play a second-fiddle role.
Vasquez played part in 23 of Real Madrid’s 38 La Liga games last season, starting only on 12 occasions. Even in his few appearances, he averaged a mere 50 minutes per game.
The veteran completed the season with four goals and an assist to his name. Further, he averaged five defensive actions and a key pass in every game and feels hard done by his limited role.
Vazquez’s departure would place the club in a tricky situation as it would leave Real Madrid with only Dani Carvajal as a natural right-back option. Nacho Fernandez could, in theory, serve as the backup but a new signing for the position cannot be ruled out.
