Real Madrid News
Real Madrid scouring the market for a replacement for club captain – report
For the sixth summer in a row, Real Madrid are set to bid goodbye to the first captain of the team as Dani Carvajal is all set to leave at the end of the season.
The trend started with the departure of Sergio Ramos in 2021, followed by Marcelo (2022), Karim Benzema (2023), Nacho Fernandez (2024), and Luka Modric (2025).
Now, it is Carvajal who will leave the club as a free agent when his contract expires, with Los Blancos deciding against offering him an extension.
Real Madrid looking for a right-back
Now, according to Mario Cortegana of The Athletic, Real Madrid have already begun scanning the transfer market for a new right-back to replace Carvajal.
Jose Mourinho, who will take over as the new Real Madrid manager in the coming week, has already spoken to the club and insisted that the team needs new defensive signings.
In response, the Merengues have already began scouring the market for options to strengthen the right-back position.
Any move will depend on the budget for the summer and the other priorities, with the club having identified several other areas in the squad that need to be strengthened.
But the idea is for Los Blancos to bring in a new right-back, preferably to operate as a second-choice player, considering that Trent Alexander-Arnold, signed last summer, has established himself as the starter.
Options within the club
In case Real Madrid do not find a suitable option on the market, they can always turn to La Fabrica, where they have Jesus Fortea as an option.
Regarded highly within the club, the Spanish teenager could be a candidate for first-team promotion next season if a new right-back is not signed.
22-year-old David Jimenez, who has already made his first-team debut this season, could also be an option for Los Blancos.
Real Madrid News
Jose Mourinho was always clear about getting rid of Real Madrid midfielder this summer – report
Real Madrid’s summer transfer window was largely successful, not only in terms of securing key arrivals but also in terms of letting go of players who had no place in the dynamics.
One player who stood out in the second category was Dani Ceballos as the Spanish midfielder was frozen out of Real Madrid’s starting dynamics for several years before his eventual departure.
In the end, the club simply let the player leave as a free agent by accepting a contract termination as they saw the salary space freed as a win compared to his presence.
Mourinho’s clear stance
As confirmed in a recent report by Diario AS, Real Madrid’s new manager Jose Mourinho has no doubt that he did not count on Ceballos for the ongoing season.
Being the straightforward communicator that he is, the Portuguese manager directly informed Ceballos that he did not count on him in any capacity, speaking out loud about a fact that was known as an open secret for a long time.
Having clarity that his situation at the club was not going to change, Ceballos pressed to leave and eventually had his way as the club allowed him to walk out of the front door with no transfer fee.
Times were tense
The Spanish outlet also add that the decision to let the player leave with a contract termination was not easy for Real Madrid to accept, especially given that it is a last resort.
In the negotiations between Ceballos and the Real Madrid hierarchy, there were some moments filled with tension and disagreements.
In fact, there was even an initial exit agreement that was reached which was cancelled in the hope of a better outcome.
Eventually, however, both parties reached a fitting resolution and Real Madrid enabled the player’s departure without any hurdles and Ceballos went on to join Real Betis.
Even that move required the player to take a massive cut on his salary, but the saga worked out well for both clubs as the player. From Real Madrid’s perspective, the space created on the team’s roster was worth its weight in gold.
