Real Madrid News
Real Madrid trio unlikely to be part of Brazil’s starting lineup at the World Cup
Brazil will begin their FIFA World Cup campaign in a week as they kick things off against Serbia in Group H on November 24.
Ahead of the tournament, manager Tite has been working hard with his players to prepare them for the competition and lead the Selecao to the trophy they have not won since the triumph in 2002.
Real Madrid have three players in the Brazil squad that has travelled to Qatar for the World Cup in the form of Eder Militao, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes.
But, according to Mario Cortegana, none of the three Real Madrid players are likely to be a part of the starting lineup for Brazil at the World Cup.
The journalist claims that the Selecao’s training sessions are providing an indication of manager Tite’s plans for the tournament and as things stand, none of the Real Madrid trio seem to feature as part of his starting XI.
It was expected considering the wealth of talent that Brazil have in their roster. With Thiago Silva and Marquinhos locking down the centre-back spots, Militao was always going to be the third-choice centre-half.
He has been used as a right-back by Tite in the past but there too he will have to contend with competition from Danilo and Dani Alves.
As for Vinicius, he would have to directly compete with Neymar for a berth on the left flank. So, his selection in the starting XI was always going to be difficult.
Rodrygo also has competition from the likes of Raphinha, Richarlison and Antony, making it hard for him to get into the team as well.
Both the Real Madrid forwards have been in fine form this season at the club level. But they may have to settle for a secondary role in the national team setup at the World Cup.
Manchester City have now joined the ever-growing list of admirers for Celta Vigo midfielder and Real Madrid target Gabri Veiga, reports Jack Gaughan of the Daily Mail.
The 20-year-old midfielder has emerged as one of the breakout stars of La Liga this season, having impressed with his goalscoring abilities from the centre of the park. Indeed, the youngster has notched up nine goals in La Liga and his exploits have made the giants of Europe sit up and take notice.
Real Madrid are said to be interested in Veiga’s services heading into the summer. The Merengues have Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, and Dani Ceballos on expiring contracts and it is unlikely that all three will be renewed, especially with Jude Bellingham being on the agenda.
In case of Modric and Kroos, even if they stay, it will likely be for only a season at the most. Hence, Los Blancos could require more than one central midfielder come summer, with Veiga emerging as an option.
The 20-year-old was also attracting interest from the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Atletico Madrid. Now, Manchester City have also jumped on the bandwagon of clubs interested in Veiga’s services.
The Cityzens, who are battling Real Madrid for Bellingham as well, are set to lose Ilkay Gundogan in the summer when his contract expires. Meanwhile, Bernardo Silva’s future is also far from certain, thus necessitating the signing of another midfielder.
Veiga has a release clause worth €40 million in his contract with Celta Vigo, which should not be a problem for either Real Madrid or Manchester City.
Celta Vigo president Carlos Mourino recently admitted that the midfielder could leave the club in the summer, saying:
“We don’t want to sell Gabri Veiga, but they are going to buy him from us. And we can’t do anything there. We know some of his offers and it is impossible to reach them.
“There are several teams behind Gabri. Real Madrid? They haven’t asked us, we don’t know if they will have called the player. Of the top 10 in the Premier League, four have asked about him.”
It will certainly be interesting to see whether Real Madrid are prepared to go all out for Veiga’s signing or decide to entirely focus on their pursuit of Bellingham.
Julio Navarro
November 18, 2022 at 6:49 pm
I can see Vinicius sitting behind Neymar and Rodrigo to give way to Raphinha and even Antony, but Militao is a much better center-back than both Silva and Marquinhos at this point of their careers. I think by the end of the World Cup he will be in the starting lineup and if he isn’t than it’s a mistake on Tite’s part.