Real Madrid News
Real Madrid unlikely to negotiate with France Football to keep star attacker
Real Madrid have recently been boosted by the return of Kylian Mbappe, who had missed some key action in the last few weeks due to a fresh injury.
Now, Mbappe is ready once again to help Real Madrid’s quest to not only win the UEFA Champions League but also mount a title challenge to Barcelona in La Liga.
Mbappe’s presence is invaluable for Los Blancos, as he is the club’s top scorer with 38 goals scored in all competitions.
However, what makes things tricky for Real Madrid is the upcoming international break – the last one before the World Cup.
Mbappe will naturally be playing for France during the international break, which potentially raises the risk of him picking up another injury that could effectively rule him out until the end of the season.
Real Madrid unlikely to negotiate
Real Madrid, in the past, have so often tried to negotiate with national teams not to release their key players during crunch periods like these.
However, in this scenario, Real Madrid are unlikely to negotiate with France Football in an effort to potentially keep Mbappe at the Valdebebas, reports El Chiringuito.
This is quite understandable given that this break will serve as the last opportunity for teams like France, Spain and England to fine-tune their squads before the World Cup this summer.
Although the risk of an injury still looms large, France themselves are likely to take more precautions given that any injury could possibly rule their biggest player out of the World Cup.
With this in mind, Real Madrid have opted not to negotiate with Les Bleus and have let fate take over, as we approach the final international break of the season.
Bernardo Silva was one of Real Madrid’s headline signings last summer. The Portuguese midfielder arrived on a free transfer from Manchester City and appeared destined to become the creative successor to Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in the middle of the park.
Indeed, with the club having not signed a new central midfielder, many within Real Madrid saw the veteran star as a solution to the issue.
Manager Jose Mourinho made him a starter from the very beginning in pre-season, but not in his usual role on the right. Instead, he deployed his compatriot as a deep-lying playmaker in the midfield double pivot.
A change in circumstances
Silva failed to have the expected influence when operating in a deeper role in midfield in the chances he got.
Combined with the emergence of Arda Guler and Aurelien Tchouameni’s return to fitness, the Portuguese international has now lost his place in the starting line-up and dropped to the bench.
Bernardo’s situation became particularly striking against Villarreal this past Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu, when he did not play a single minute.
Limited opportunities under Mourinho
Bernardo has played six matches for Real Madrid, starting three and coming on as a substitute in another three.
He did not feature against Villarreal or Elche, while his only appearance in the last three matches was a little over 10 minutes against Atletico Madrid. He was not used regularly by the Portugal national team during the international break either.
Across Real Madrid’s eight La Liga fixtures, Silva has accumulated just 282 minutes of playing time.
The Champions League now presents another opportunity for the former Manchester City captain, who has yet to make his European debut for Real Madrid this season.
He missed the match against Inter Milan because he was still serving a suspension carried over from his time at the Etihad Stadium last season.
It remains to be seen whether Mourinho will give him an opportunity against AS Roma in the coming week.
For now, the midfielder’s reduced playing time suggests that the Portuguese coach has lost some of his faith in a player who arrived with high expectations after leaving Manchester City.
