Real Madrid News
Real Madrid to announce their second summer signing next week – report
Even though the summer transfer window is still some way away, Real Madrid are already moving quite swiftly in the market.
The idea is for the Merengues to make some additions to the squad before flying to the USA next month for the FIFA Club World Cup.
To that end, Real Madrid have already signed Dean Huijsen from AFC Bournemouth, by activating his £50 million release clause.
The deal was officially confirmed this past weekend, with the 20-year-old set to join the Spanish capital giants from June 1.
Trent Alexander-Arnold next
Now, according to AS, Real Madrid plan to announce their second new signing in the form of Trent Alexander-Arnold next week.
The 26-year-old right-back’s contract at Liverpool expires on June 30 and he has already announced his decision to leave.
An agreement with Real Madrid has been in place for a while and an official announcement about his signing is now expected to drop next week.
Real Madrid have been negotiating with Liverpool to secure Alexander-Arnold’s early release so that he can be available for the Club World Cup from the start and not only after his contract expires on June 30.
Liverpool, for their part, have held firm on not wanting to let the Englishman leave unless Real Madrid cough up some fees, while Florentino Perez & co. hope to get the deal closed for free.
So, it remains to be seen how the standoff between the two clubs is resolved but Real Madrid have plans to confirm the right-back’s acquisition next week.
With things moving fast in their pursuit of Alvaro Carreras from SL Benfica as well, Real Madrid are clearly not playing around in the transfer market after what has been a rather underwhelming season for them.
According to TeamTalk, Real Madrid have joined the growing list of clubs monitoring Gabriel Rajkovic, a 15-year-old winger whose rapid development at Valerenga has already attracted attention from several of Europe’s leading sides.
The Merengues are known for keeping an eye on exciting young talent across the globe and it seems that Rajkovic’s exploits in Norway, with the first team, have alerted them.
Real Madrid keeping tabs on Rajkovic
As per the report, Real Madrid are among a host of clubs closely following the progress of the young forward.
Rajkovic holds both Norwegian and Serbian nationality and has emerged as one of the most promising young players in Norway.
His development has not gone unnoticed, with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund also understood to be monitoring him.
However, at this point, it is Arsenal and Chelsea, who are understood to be leading the charge for Rajkovic, having compiled a detailed dossier on the teenage prodigy after extensive scouting.
On top of that, the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have all watched Rajkovic in recent weeks.
Real Madrid could therefore face significant competition if they decide to step up their interest in a player who has already made an impression at senior level.
Making an impact at just 15
Rajkovic was handed a promotion to the Valerenga first-team squad in January earlier this year, when he was only 14 years old.
Following that, he signed a new contract with the club in March, when he turned 15, committing to the club until 2028.
Despite being only 15, the winger has already begun gaining experience in first-team football. In all, he has made 14 senior appearances for the Norwegian outfit, scoring three and assisting one goal.
Rajkovic has also represented Norway Under-16s, making two appearances and scoring once despite being younger than many of his teammates.
Those numbers become more impressive when his age and stage of development are taken into account.
Real Madrid have built a reputation for identifying young talent well before players reach their peak, and Rajkovic has now emerged as another name on their scouting radar.
But given the number of clubs in the race, signing the teenage wonderkid will not be easy.
