Real Madrid News
Real Madrid stalwart ruled out of final league game through suspension
Real Madrid will have to finish their La Liga season without one of their most important players. Jude Bellingham picked up a yellow card during their recent match against Sevilla, which now rules him out of the final game of the season at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The booking means he has reached the five-card limit, resulting in a one-match suspension. The yellow card came in the 65th minute when Bellingham jumped near the edge of the Sevilla box.
Referee Busquets Ferrer did not hesitate and showed the card, despite protests from the Englishman. He felt the challenge did not warrant a booking, but the decision stood, and now he will miss the home fixture against Real Sociedad.
Bellingham had previously escaped suspension in earlier matches, especially during the clash with Mallorca when he was close to picking up another yellow for a challenge on Samu Costa.
This time, though, there was no way around it. His absence is significant, as the final game also marks the farewell of Carlo Ancelotti as Real Madrid’s manager.
Focus turns to England and the Club World Cup
With his La Liga season now finished, Bellingham will turn his attention to international duty and the Club World Cup.
The midfielder is expected to be called up for England’s upcoming matches against Andorra and Senegal. After that, he will join his Real Madrid teammates for the Club World Cup, which is just a few weeks away.
Despite carrying a long-standing shoulder issue that he has been managing for over a year, Bellingham has been a key figure this season. While the suspension is unfortunate, the break could give him some much-needed rest ahead of a busy summer schedule.
Real Madrid fans will miss him in the season finale, but there is still plenty ahead for Bellingham in both club and country colours.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid weighing up January move for €70 million-rated Arsenal midfielder – report
Real Madrid’s midfield is the one department where Jose Mourinho sees clear scope for improvement, especially given that the club did not sanction his wish for a top midfield signing in the summer.
While Bernardo Silva has chipped in as a handy option to feature in the deep midfield, the club still lacks a controlling and creative option who can glue the team together.
In that sense, there is a clear lacuna that Real Madrid need to address and Defensa Central brings to light that the club have opened up to a potential target.
Zubimendi emerges as a target
Indeed, the player in question is Arsenal’s Martin Zubimendi who the club have seen as a target for a long time, and Real Madrid could even go on to sign him in January.
The Spanish international has not started off the new season well under Mikel Arteta and has primarily featured as a substitute. He does, thus, see a move to Madrid with good eyes in every sense.
Real Madrid, for their part, have not ruled out his signing as was reported in recent months and there is even a chance they seriously pursue him in the winter transfer window as a mid-season fix.
The possible fee
The Spanish outlet also add that Zubimendi’s move to Real Madrid could be completed for a fee similar to what Arsenal paid for the player for his transfer from Real Sociedad – €70 million.
Mourinho’s insistence on making a new midfield signing is no secret, and with a clear target now in mind, the board could well back him with the player he wishes.
Notably, however, even Chelsea are seriously interested in his signing.
So far, Federico Valverde has been Real Madrid’s mainstay in midfield, and Aurelien Tchouameni’s return will change the team’s dynamics in the department.
Neither player, however, offers the control and distribution skill set that the team direly lack.
A big part of whether or not the club pushes for Zubimendi, however, will depend on how the Valverde-Tchouameni combination plays out in the coming months. It is, after all, the manager’s first-choice combination for big games.
