Real Madrid News
Real Madrid veteran defender’s exit in January is a possibility – report
According to MARCA, Real Madrid defender Nacho Fernandez leaving the club during the January transfer window is a possibility.
The versatile defender is in the final year of his contract with Los Blancos and even though he has a one-year extension offer on the table, the Spaniard has currently halted talks over his renewal.
This is because the Real Madrid cantera is unhappy with his role and involvement under Carlo Ancelotti this season.
Indeed, Nacho has found game-time extremely hard to come by this season following the summer arrival of Antonio Rudiger. The Spanish ace is behind Eder Militao, David Alaba and Rudiger in the pecking order, leading to reduced minutes.
The 32-year-old, as a result, has played just 11 times across all competitions, clocking up just 414 minutes in the process.
Given his reduced game-time and his contract situation, a summer exit could be on the horizon. However, the report adds that there is a chance that Nacho could depart as early as January as well.
The 32-year-old is attracting interest from Premier League clubs like Aston Villa and Wolves, where he could find increased game-time if he were to decide to swap clubs midway through the campaign.
A player who has spent his entire career at Real Madrid, Nacho has always maintained that he wanted to remain a one-club man. However, with his situation being as it is, an exit in January could become a possibility.
In case that happens, the report indicates that Ancelotti could turn to Real Madrid Castilla defender Rafa Marin to reinforce the centre-back department.
The current edition of the Real Madrid squad is full of young talents, who have shown remarkable potential in recent years.
Arda Guler is among the young players looking to make a mark in European football in the years to come.
The young Turk joined Real Madrid earlier this summer, rejecting many other European giants in the process.
Toni Kroos mentoring Guler at Real Madrid
Guler has not enjoyed the best of starts to his life at Santiago Bernabeu, as he is spending a brief time on the sidelines due to an injury.
However, Guler has not stopped working on his characteristics, as he looks to kickstart his Real Madrid career on a positive note.
To that end, the former Fenerbahce starlet is receiving some key support from one of Real Madrid’s midfield pillars in the form of Toni Kroos.
This is according to MARCA, which suggests that the German international is mentoring Guler in his early days at Santiago Bernabeu.
Kroos: huge ‘sponsor’ of Guler
The report highlights how Toni Kroos is a huge admirer of Arda Guler. The German had even heaped praise on the youngster from Turkey when he joined the club earlier in the summer.
Guler, therefore, is closely training with Kroos, whose years of experience, composure, and knowledge of football, could help the youngster grow at Santiago Bernabeu.
This fits in well with Carlo Ancelotti’s vision at Real Madrid, as the Italian boss wants youngsters to have room to grow, especially with guidance from some of the older guards in the team.
It is one of the key reasons Real Madrid wanted to stick to Kroos and Luka Modric, despite bringing in Arda Guler and Jude Bellingham in the summer.
Guler, therefore, has the stage set for him to start his Real Madrid career on a strong note. After impressing in training, the next step for the youngster is to make a promising debut, which is just around the corner.
