Real Madrid News
Real Madrid rejected the chance to sign 28-year-old Manchester City star in January
The situation of Joao Cancelo at Bayern Munich is complicated. The right-back only joined the German outfit in the winter transfer market on loan from Manchester City and the relations between him and his new club already appear to be souring.
According to reports from Fabrizio Romano, the Bundesliga side will only make a decision about his future in the summer. Real Madrid opted against signing the star in the winter but could return to the thick of things in June if the right-back is available.
The defender has appeared in nine games for the Bavarians since his move to Germany, only missing out on the team’s clash against Stuttgart earlier this month. However, he has completed the ninety minutes only on one occasion.
Cancelo was benched for most of the team’s Champions League clash against PSG last week but provided an assist in the seven minutes he participated in. The 28-year-old feels hard done by his lack of game time and is reportedly frustrated at his situation.
Simultaneously, Julian Nagelsmann’s side are said to be edging towards opting against triggering his purchase clause.
The stipulated €70 million fee is a number Bayern see as very high given the player’s performances and once again throws the gate open for speculation around Cancelo’s future.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side indeed requires a right-back, given that both Lucas Vazquez and Daniel Carvajal are past the 30-year mark.
Yet, the Merengues already have their priority list set in stone, and it is clear that the right-back position features behind departments like the midfield and centre-forward.
Real Madrid’s speculated pursuit of Cancelo would come down to the transfer fee demanded by Pep Guardiola’s side. For a fee close to the €70 million asked of Bayern Munich, it is clear that Real Madrid will likely maintain its distance.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid captain Benzema still not 100% fit, suffering from ankle discomfort – report
Karim Benzema put in another decrepit display as Real Madrid suffered a 2-1 defeat to FC Barcelona on Sunday night, which all but ended their hopes of defending the La Liga title.
The 35-year-old had sat out of Los Blancos‘ previous La Liga encounter against RCD Espanyol due to ankle discomfort, but returned for the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie versus Liverpool.
While Benzema scored in that game, he hobbled off the pitch with his ankle issue resurfacing. It led to him missing training last Friday, but returned to the squad for El Clasico after participating in training on Saturday.
However, he looked rusty and uninspiring during the defeat on Sunday at Spotify Camp Nou. Now, ABC (h/t Madrid Xtra), is reporting that Benzema is still not near 100% fitness and is struggling with his ankle issue.
It is further claimed that the Real Madrid captain continues to feel discomfort game after game.
Despite this being the situation, Carlo Ancelotti continues to play his ace striker in almost every match.
But the blame must be shared by the club as well, as they did not sign a new centre-forward in the summer or in January when they were aware of the striker’s fitness issues this season.
The Merengues let go of Luka Jovic and Borja Mayoral in the summer and did not sign a replacement, leaving Benzema and the out-of-favour Mariano Diaz as the only options at the manager’s disposal.
Rodrygo did well on occasions when deployed as a No.9, but it evidently clear that Real Madrid cannot go through an entire season relying on a 35-year-old centre-forward.
Alvaro Rodriguez may have emerged as an option of late, but Real Madrid will be repeating the same mistake again if they do not go for a new striker before the next season starts.
