Real Madrid News
Real Madrid to battle Liverpool, Man United, Bayern Munich for €50m Dutch sensation
Netherlands international Cody Gakpo has emerged as one of the breakthrough stars of the FIFA World Cup 2022 so far. And, it seems like his performances have caught the eyes of some of the biggest clubs in Europe, including Real Madrid.
Indeed, according to Marco Timmer of Voetbal International, Gakpo is on the radars of some of the elite teams in the continent in the form of Real Madrid, Manchester United, Liverpool and Bayern Munich.
Gakpo is a product of the PSV Eindhoven academy and has been dominating the Dutch footballing scenes over the past couple of seasons. Having plundered 21 goals and set up 15 more in all competitions last season, the 23-year-old has been in top form this term.
In just 24 matches for PSV, he has been involved in 30 goals (13 goals, 17 assists) this season. And he has carried that form forward at the World Cup stages, scoring two in two so far for the Netherlands.
A left-winger by trade, the 23-year-old has now popped up on the radars of Real Madrid. Los Blancos could be in need of new attackers next summer with Eden Hazard likely to leave and Marco Asensio’s future also uncertain at this point.
Gakpo, to that end, can prove to be a top acquisition, although he would be competing with Vinicius Jr for a starting berth on the left.
But Los Blancos will face competition from Premier League heavyweights Manchester United and Liverpool as well as German champions Bayern Munich.
PSV, for their part, would be open to selling their prized asset for a fee of at least €50 million. The 23-year-old is currently fully focused on the World Cup. But after the tournament in Qatar, talks between his camp and the interested parties are expected to kickstart.
It remains to be seen if Real Madrid are able to capture his services or whether they decide to look elsewhere to bolster their frontline, given that the likes of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Rafael Leao have also been linked.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid locker room angry with Barcelona midfielder’s ‘unsportsmanlike’ behaviour – report
While the evident frustration among the Real Madrid players was quite visible following the recent 1-2 defeat against Barcelona, the feeling of vexation was not really limited on the field.
Journalist Mario Cortegana, while writing for The Athletic, has confirmed that once the players got into the dressing room, the environment had an air of anger and frustration.
Players from each team had a go at each other right till the end, especially the likes of Dani Carvajal and Arnau Tenas, who had to be separated by several members from both teams.
Interestingly, before the aforementioned incident, Barcelona midfielder Gavi was already causing some trouble on the field. The youngster did not shy away from putting his body on the line throughout the game and it annoyed Madrid players to the extreme.
First, he pushed Carvajal in one incident and after that, he entangled himself in an off-the-ball clash with Dani Ceballos. The Madrid midfielder first had a collision with Robert Lewandowski and as the game moved on, Gavi made note of the incident.
During the run of play, Gavi pushed Ceballos with his shoulder and it did not settle well with the Madrid players and manager Carlo Ancelotti. The players and the manager were disturbed by Gavi’s behaviour and considered it ‘unsportsmanlike’.
On the other hand, there was frustration involving refereeing decisions as well. It must be remembered that in the 82nd minute, Marco Asensio found the back of the net to send the Madrid fans into a frenzy.
The celebration, however, was cut short as VAR disallowed the goal for an extremely tight offside. “We are sad, frustrated,” a dressing room source told The Athletic. “What happened? A guy looking at a TV in Madrid has decided La Liga.”
Ancelotti, on his part, said: “The disallowed goal? I don’t know, I really don’t know. I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know. I’m leaving with this doubt. If the VAR is sure.”
“I leave this match very proud. I don’t think we deserved to lose today,” he added.
