Real Madrid News
Real Madrid shot down Ancelotti’s request to sign PL striker, manager still wants a No. 9
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez began the summer promising Carlo Ancelotti strong reinforcements in the attack.
After all, the Italian tactician was in dire need of resources in the final third having lost some big names in Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio.
There were rumours of Los Blancos going around the globe in their hunt for a new striker. Of all the options on their table, Harry Kane appeared to be their top target for a long time.
But according to reports from Francisco Jose Delgado, Ancelotti is pressing the board for a new striker. He was in favour of bringing the Tottenham Hotspur striker but the club shut down that deal the moment Kylian Mbappe became available.
In the middle of nowhere
Real Madrid’s decision to abandon all targets for the number nine position in pursuit of Mbappe has not fared well so far.
Many of the players scouted by the Merengues have already found new clubs and are no longer on the market. Kane himself is reportedly close to a move to Bayern Munich.
The men in white, meanwhile, have been left stranded. Mbappe has not made any tangible moves towards his dream of playing at Santiago Bernabeu and the club could end up contesting the 2023-24 campaign without an established striker apart from Joselu.
The lesson from preseason
Real Madrid completed their pre-season tour in the United States of America with two wins and two losses.
While there was clearly a lot to improve defensively, the Merengues’ lack of a clinical finisher was one of the biggest takeaways.
Both in their games against Barcelona and Juventus, Ancelotti’s side created the better chances but found themselves lacking the finishing touch. Clearly, the lack of a No. 9 is concerning for the manager.
It is clear by this point that Perez will not go after any new striker this summer other than Mbappe. Ancelotti’s best hope, thus, is for the Frenchman to push for a transfer.
Real Madrid are looking to push the youngster’s move until the end of the transfer window to pressurise PSG to accept a budget fee. Whether their plan unfolds as expected remains to be seen.
Real Madrid News
Bellingham on his special assist in Girona 0-3 Real Madrid: “Been watching Luka every day”
Real Madrid usurped the top spot in the La Liga standings from arch-rivals FC Barcelona as they defeated Girona 3-0 away at Estadi Montilivi.
It was a fine performance from Carlo Ancelotti’s men against Michel’s side, with the returning Jude Bellingham leading the way for his team.
After being benched against Las Palmas in midweek, the England international returned to the starting XI today and turned in yet another Man of the Match display for Real Madrid.
It all started with Joselu opening the scoring just 15 minutes into the game, with Bellingham assisting the goal with a special, outside-of-the-boot pass from the left side, bringing back memories of Luka Modric doing something similar a few years ago.
Talking about that special pass, Bellingham said: “I’ve been watching Luka every day for months. I just want to be creative. It took the pressure off us at the start.”
On the match and the result, the 20-year-old stated that it was a good day across the board for Real Madrid, as he said: “It was an important win. They were doing very well. We made a statement of intent to La Liga. Three goals, a clean sheet….”
It has been a truly remarkable start to life at Real Madrid for Bellingham and expressing how he feels to play for the Merengues, he exclaimed:
“I feel very good. I have freedom of movement and I’m enjoying football. Whenever I put on this shirt I always try to do my best.”
Apart from assisting Joselu’s opener, Bellingham also got his name on the scoresheet in the second period. Talking about his goal, the wonderkid said:
“It wasn’t a very good finish. I could have scored some more, but the important thing is the victory.”
The strike meant that Bellingham now has seven goals and two assists across all competitions for Real Madrid. Reflecting on his brilliant start, he said:
“It’s a good start, not bad. I would like to continue on this path and I won’t always score or assist, but I will always give my best.”
Bellingham’s celebration has been a huge hit, with kids in school, players from other clubs, and many others mimicking it. When asked how his special celebration originated, he replied:
“I don’t know where I first celebrated. I think it was with Birmingham. It’s an inspiration to see kids doing it in schools. It’s a wonderful thing.”
Source: AS
