Real Madrid News
Real Madrid set to finalise move for €6m La Liga striker as Mariano replacement
Real Madrid have been struck with huge news in the last few hours as Karim Benzema’s future has been put under a cloud of doubt. The Frenchman, free in the summer, is now closer to leaving the club than renewing his contract.
Benzema has been offered a mammoth €200 million two-year contract from Al-Ittihad, and is seriously considering it. The contract also includes image rights, advertising money, and social work.
As such, Madrid will have to work overtime to look to reinforce their forward line ahead of next summer. With Mariano Diaz also leaving, they will be without a natural striker should Benzema not continue.
They are, however, close to signing Espanyol’s Joselu, as per a report by Sergio Santos. He will serve as Mariano’s backup in the squad.
If nothing goes wrong at this point, he would be the first signing for the club once the season officially calls curtains next weekend.
Joselu has a clause in his Espanyol contract that helps facilitate his transfer in case of relegation. With the Catalan outfit now officially back in the Segunda Division, the Spaniard could be on the move.
Real Madrid have almost completely closed the signing of Fran Garcia already, who is set to return to the Santiago Bernabeu at the end of his season. Joselu’s announcement could follow, after next week, as the club prioritising focusing on the league, hoping to finish second.
Should Benzema call it quits on his time at Madrid, though, the club are expected to go after another striker in the summer. Roberto Firmino and Harry Kane are among names being considered, but each with problems of their own.
The Brazilian wants to know about his fit in the team before making an official decision on his future, while the Englishman will carry a huge price tag.
Bernardo Silva was one of Real Madrid’s headline signings last summer. The Portuguese midfielder arrived on a free transfer from Manchester City and appeared destined to become the creative successor to Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in the middle of the park.
Indeed, with the club having not signed a new central midfielder, many within Real Madrid saw the veteran star as a solution to the issue.
Manager Jose Mourinho made him a starter from the very beginning in pre-season, but not in his usual role on the right. Instead, he deployed his compatriot as a deep-lying playmaker in the midfield double pivot.
A change in circumstances
Silva failed to have the expected influence when operating in a deeper role in midfield in the chances he got.
Combined with the emergence of Arda Guler and Aurelien Tchouameni’s return to fitness, the Portuguese international has now lost his place in the starting line-up and dropped to the bench.
Bernardo’s situation became particularly striking against Villarreal this past Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu, when he did not play a single minute.
Limited opportunities under Mourinho
Bernardo has played six matches for Real Madrid, starting three and coming on as a substitute in another three.
He did not feature against Villarreal or Elche, while his only appearance in the last three matches was a little over 10 minutes against Atletico Madrid. He was not used regularly by the Portugal national team during the international break either.
Across Real Madrid’s eight La Liga fixtures, Silva has accumulated just 282 minutes of playing time.
The Champions League now presents another opportunity for the former Manchester City captain, who has yet to make his European debut for Real Madrid this season.
He missed the match against Inter Milan because he was still serving a suspension carried over from his time at the Etihad Stadium last season.
It remains to be seen whether Mourinho will give him an opportunity against AS Roma in the coming week.
For now, the midfielder’s reduced playing time suggests that the Portuguese coach has lost some of his faith in a player who arrived with high expectations after leaving Manchester City.
