Real Madrid News
Real Madrid set sights on summer move for €60 million-rated Premier League captain
It is well known that Real Madrid are looking to sign a central defender ahead of next season, and in recent months several names have already emerged as potential options.
Names such as Marc Guehi, Dayot Upamecano, and Ibrahima Konate have been considered and discarded for various reasons.
Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund ace Nico Schlotterbeck, currently in a contract dispute with the Bundesliga club, has also emerged as a serious target.
Cristian Romero added to Real Madrid shortlist
Now, according to El Chiringuito TV, the latest name added to Real Madrid’s shortlist of centre-back targets for the summer is Tottenham Hotspur captain Cristian Romero.
The 27-year-old Argentine international was a target for Real Madrid’s arch-rivals Atletico Madrid last summer, but the move did not go through.
However, there is a growing sense that Romero might not be fully happy at Tottenham and might seek a change of scenery in the summer, after his recent comments against against his own club’s board.
Real Madrid, who have had Romero on their radar for some time now, have taken note of the development and are looking at the 2022 World Cup winner as a target for the summer.
A strong and aggressive defender in his prime, with plenty of experience at the highest level and leadership qualities, Romero has the potential to be a solid addition at Real Madrid, who are primed to part ways with David Alaba and potentially even Antonio Rudiger.
Romero has a contract with Tottenham until 2029 and negotiations are unlikely to be easy. So, it remains to be seen how things evolve.
*Player valuation in title obtained from transfermarkt.com on date of publication.
Real Madrid’s adventure so far under new coach Jose Mourinho has been far from perfect and this fact shouldn’t be lost even after the team’s brilliant comeback win over AS Roma in midweek.
However, there are areas where Los Blancos have shown a clear improvement under Mourinho, when compared to previous bosses such as Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa.
One of those areas has been set plays, with Real Madrid appearing far more potent from set pieces this season.
A clear improvement from last season
As reported by Diario AS, the three goals in Rome, all from Arda Guler corners inside a seven-minute blitz, were the perfect advert for the work being done at Valdebebas.
Those strikes took Real Madrid’s set-piece tally to seven goals in just ten matches this season. Four of them have come in La Liga, one from a corner and three from free kicks, with the trio in Rome completing the haul.
It is a striking figure when set against last season’s return. Under Alonso and Arbeloa, Madrid managed 12 set-piece goals across the entire campaign, all in La Liga, split evenly between six from corners and six from free kicks.
On current trends, this side looks well placed to surpass that number comfortably.
The reason behind Real Madrid’s improvement
Attacking set pieces are led at Valdebebas by Pedro Machado, with the whole coaching staff involved and Mourinho himself giving the final green light on every routine.
Defending them, meanwhile, falls to Sami Khedira, though it is treated as a collective effort. Mourinho’s appreciation of that teamwork was clear when Bellingham headed in a Guler free kick against Espanyol, prompting the manager to leap up and embrace his assistants.
Machado, one of Mourinho’s most trusted lieutenants, has followed him from Fenerbahce to Benfica and now Madrid, part of a backroom team blending experience with young, ambitious talent.
On the pitch, Guler is the undisputed master when available, his left foot the key weapon, with Bernardo Silva, Trent Alexander-Arnold and even Diomande also trusted to initiate attacks.
Such meticulous strategy has helped Real Madrid turn into a potent side from set-pieces this season.
