Real Madrid News
Real Madrid to make a fresh attempt to land Liverpool superstar next week – report
Real Madrid’s rough run of games in recent weeks has led to serious introspection by the club administration and management and there is a desperation to understand where the team is lacking.
The defense, on that front, has come up as one of the primary culprits and the hierarchy are now slowly coming to terms that they may have to put aside their hatred for the January transfer market and make a move.
Of all the players Real Madrid have on their radar, Trent Alexander-Arnold is seen to be the primary target as the club requires an immediate and long-term solution at right-back, both boxes of which the youngster ticks.
An attempt to sign in January
Real Madrid already have a reported agreement with the right-back to arrive in June as a free agent but have also been exploring the possibility of signing him in January.
They already made an offer to Liverpool close to a month ago to sign Alexander-Arnold immediately for a certain transfer fee, but the offices at Anfield outright rejected the opportunity as they see him to be vital for this season’s plans.
As revealed by MARCA, Real Madrid refuse to give up and will now make a new attempt to land him this month next week. After all, a lot has changed since their last offer was rejected.
For starters, the Real Madrid offices now see the pressing need to sign a new right-back immediately, especially after the destruction the team faced against Barcelona last weekend.
Further, Liverpool are now aware of Trent’s firm decision to sign for Real Madrid in the summer, something they still doubted a month ago.
Now knowing well that they will lose him as a free agent, they may opt to sell him for economic returns.
The coming week will be critical in deciding if Real Madrid can have their man or not, but a large part of it will depend on the player himself and whether he can apply any pressure on the board in England.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho reacts to Vinicius suspension: “Why announce it two hours before an important match?”
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has questioned the RFEF Disciplinary Committee’s decision to announce Vinicius Jr.’s four-match suspension just hours before their UEFA Champions League meeting with AS Roma on Wednesday.
The Brazilian has been hit with a four-match ban for his red card against Villarreal, meaning he will miss the matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander, and Valencia.
And, speaking to Movistar+ (h/t MARCA) before the match, the Real Madrid manager was asked whether the punishment could affect the Brazilian psychologically.
Mourinho instead turned his attention to the football authorities and the timing of their announcement.
“I think that is a question for the Committee. Why have they announced the suspension at this particular moment? If you are asking me this question, it is presumably because you think it could affect him,” the Portuguese coach replied.
“You should ask the Committee why they did not announce it this morning, or tomorrow morning. Why do they do it two hours before a match that is important for Real Madrid, which is a Spanish club?” he added, questioning the timing of the decision.
Mourinho explains his tactical approach against Roma
The Real Madrid manager also outlined his plan for facing a Roma side known for their aggressive pressing.
“My intention is to stop them from pressing us so high up the pitch, given the players we have available and as a precaution,” he said.
Continuing, the Portuguese manager added: “They press man-to-man higher up the pitch better than anyone else, and we will see whether we can take advantage of that. If not, they will have to drop their press five or ten metres.”
Why Rudiger over Huijsen
Mourinho also justified his decision to start Antonio Rudiger at centre-back alongside Ibrahima Konate rather than Dean Huijsen.
“They played very well together in the last match, Rudiger and Konate, showing great leadership and the ability to withstand a difficult situation when we had ten men for 30 minutes,” he said.
“I am not saying Dean is not capable of playing a match like this, but this is a wonderful atmosphere for Roma and a difficult one for us. I think a player with Antonio’s experience can be important,” Mourinho added.
Finally, Mourinho was asked about his emotions ahead of returning to face Roma, the club he managed between 2021 and 2024.
The Portuguese coach offered a brief response, saying that he had his feelings about the occasion “blocked”.
