Real Madrid News
Real Madrid priority target in talks with Liverpool, race ‘open’ right now
Real Madrid are among the clubs in contention to sign Jude Bellingham next summer. With the club expecting a massive overhaul in the first-team, the Borussia Dortmund starlet has emerged as one of the club’s priority targets.
Majority of the Spanish media had backed Real Madrid as the favourite to sign Bellingham, who himself is reportedly keen on the prospect of moving to Santiago Bernabeu.
However, according to Jan Aage Fjortoft, Bellingham has not made a decision on his future just yet. In fact, Fjortoft refutes reports from the Spanish media by claiming that the midfielder is even open to a return to England.
This is because the Englishman has informed the Real Madrid board that he is in talks with Liverpool as well. It appears the youngster’s entourage is keeping its options open, knowing there would be no shortage of suitors for the player next summer.
Liverpool are indeed one of the clubs to have shown concrete interest in Bellingham. Their head coach Jurgen Klopp is a huge admirer of the Dortmund starlet and with the likes of Jordan Henderson, Thiago and Fabinho entering the final phase of their respective careers, the youngster has emerged as an appealing target for the Reds.
Real Madrid, though, are expected to put up a strong fight for Bellingham. The Whites are bracing themselves for life without Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, both of who are not expected to continue for very long.
The club have already invested heavily in the midfield department in recent years, roping in youngsters such as Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga. Bellingham could be the next big investment and perhaps the most significant one, as Real Madrid look to undergo a rapid transition in the coming years.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. admits finishing problem after another frustrating night vs Elche: ‘Can’t miss that much’
Vinicius Jr.’s difficult start in front of goal continued against Elche, and the Real Madrid forward did not need anyone to tell him he had missed another chance to make the difference.
The Brazilian finished the night without a goal despite having chances to get on the scoresheet, while his teammates could only watch from the bench as opportunities went begging.
Jose Mourinho had already identified the problem before kick-off, bluntly pointing to the issue facing his forward, stating, “He’s missing the goal.”
Vini offered an equally frank assessment afterwards.
Rather than hide from another frustrating evening, he accepted responsibility on social media: “The goals will come back; I can’t miss that much…”
Two chances, no finish for Vinicius
Vinicius had two particularly clear openings against Elche, but neither produced the finish Real Madrid needed from their star forward.
The first arrived when he found himself one-on-one with the opposition goalkeeper.
Instead of finding the net, Vinicius caught the ball with the tip of his foot and sent his effort wide. Arda Guler was available during the move and called for the ball, but Vini backed himself to finish the chance.
He had another opportunity after the interval, this time following an excellent pass from Guler during a quick Real Madrid transition. Again, though, Vinicius could not find the target.
His evening ended in the 68th minute, with Mourinho deciding the Brazilian was tired and turning his attention towards Sunday’s Atletico Madrid derby.
Mourinho has a bigger decision to make
The numbers show why Vinicius’ finishing has become a talking point. He managed five shots against Elche, but only one was on target and none found the net.
After seven appearances this season, the Brazilian has scored just once, which is a striking return for a player Real Madrid rely upon to provide a major share of their attacking threat.
Ultimately, though, Real Madrid found another route to victory, with Arda Guler, Kylian Mbappe and Carlos Espi providing the goals in the 3-2 comeback.
