Real Madrid News
Real Madrid top target left out of PSG’s ‘GOAT’ sponsorship announcement
Real Madrid’s pursuit of Kylian Mbappe is an open secret at this point. In fact, it is quite surprising that the transfer has not gone through already given that Paris Saint-Germain are out of the UEFA Champions League.
The Frenchman is set to become a free agent in the summer, and can sign a pre-agreement with the team of his choice without any intervention from PSG. He has, however, hinted that staying with the French outfit is still an option.
In an interesting turn of events, PSG announced a new sponsorship today with lifestyle brand GOAT and did not include a certain Mbappe in the announcement illustration.
The photo that features GOAT on the sleeve of the PSG jersey includes Lionel Messi, Neymar, Marco Verratti, Presnel Kimpembe, and Achraf Hakimi standing in a queue against a blacked-out background.
As the face of the next generation in football, and a contendor to the ‘GOAT’ title, Mbappe is one of the most marketable players in the world right now.
Therefore, it would not be farfetched to suggest that this could be a hint about Mbappe’s decision, which is expected to be announced by the end of this season.
Madrid already have a proposal on the table for Mbappe and are ‘calm’ about his transfer. It is understood that they are confident about sealing the move despite interest from multiple clubs.
Barcelona, too, were briefly linked with a move for him, but those rumours saw the face of the bin soon enough after Joan Laporta dismissed any ‘financially risky’ transfer for the summer.
The World Cup winner has an incredible 20 goals and 14 assists in the league this season, and is leading the chart for both. He has also contributed in the form of six goals and four assists in the Champions League before eventually being knocked out by his dream club, Madrid.
Real Madrid News
U-turn? Benzema hints at Real Madrid stay during ceremony: “Reality is not the internet”
There has been a lot of talk around Karim Benzema’s situation over the course of the last week or so, with reports claiming that the Frenchman was on his way out of the Santiago Bernabeu.
With his contract expiring at the end of the season, it was reported that Benzema was joining Al Ittihad as part of an incredible deal worth nearly €200 million. The striker was also offered 100% of his image rights and advertising deals by the Saudi government.
Over the last day or so, it has been reported that the move is all but official at the moment, as Benzema has accepted the offer, and will soon inform Real Madrid about it.
Benzema was awarded the MARCA Leyenda awards for contribution to sports today, and speaking during it, he dropped a rather cryptic message about his future – one that says quite the opposite to what has been in the news recently.
“Speak to the fans? Speak about what? Why should I speak of the future if I’m in Madrid?”, Benzema said.
“It’s the internet speaking, and reality is not the internet,” he added.
This certainly falls away from the departure line for Benzema, who was reportedly already contemplating his life away from Madrid.
At first, though, he was hesitant about speaking about his future, saying, “Staying or leaving Real Madrid? At the moment, I’m here…we have a game on Saturday.”
He repeatedly talked about the fans, calling them the best in world football. He also said, “I know how much Real Madrid fans love me. I feel that when I’m on the pitch, I give my best for them, always.”
“I always say that we play with 11 on the pitch but also with a crucial factor, Real Madrid fans,” Benzema concluded.
