Real Madrid News
Real Madrid veteran wishes to see out his contract at the club – report
David Alaba’s soleus muscle injury last week once again postponed the date of his return and his situation at Real Madrid is now beginning to be seen as one without much hope.
The player, after all, has barely featured for Los Blancos in close to a year and he is now the fifth-choice centre-back in Xabi Alonso’s plans, behind the likes of Raul Asencio and Eder Militao.
With the FIFA World Cup coming up, and in the process, his swansong with the Austrian national team, the player thus has a decision to make on whether he plans to stay at Real Madrid and risk a poor showing in the United States or leave the club for more regular minutes.
Set to stay
As relayed by The Athletic in a recent report, sources close to Alaba insist that the player intends to stay in Real Madrid this season.
They insist that the player at least wants to see out his contract at the club which currently runs until the summer of 2026.
They also trust that Xabi Alonso will give the Austrian star prominence as the season progresses, especially because of the strong bond they shared during their time together at Bayern Munich.
Over the years, Alaba has established himself as not only one of the best centre-backs. With age catching up quickly, however, he has neither been able to produce the quality nor the consistency expected of him in recent times.
The player was expected to return to action in the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup after a prolonged knee injury but another concurrent setback to his soleus muscle, however, has further postponed his return.
Real Madrid, for their part, are willing to sell the veteran especially given his massive wages. Now, however, they seem set to lose him on a free transfer in 2026.
According to TeamTalk, Real Madrid have joined the growing list of clubs monitoring Gabriel Rajkovic, a 15-year-old winger whose rapid development at Valerenga has already attracted attention from several of Europe’s leading sides.
The Merengues are known for keeping an eye on exciting young talent across the globe and it seems that Rajkovic’s exploits in Norway, with the first team, have alerted them.
Real Madrid keeping tabs on Rajkovic
As per the report, Real Madrid are among a host of clubs closely following the progress of the young forward.
Rajkovic holds both Norwegian and Serbian nationality and has emerged as one of the most promising young players in Norway.
His development has not gone unnoticed, with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund also understood to be monitoring him.
However, at this point, it is Arsenal and Chelsea, who are understood to be leading the charge for Rajkovic, having compiled a detailed dossier on the teenage prodigy after extensive scouting.
On top of that, the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have all watched Rajkovic in recent weeks.
Real Madrid could therefore face significant competition if they decide to step up their interest in a player who has already made an impression at senior level.
Making an impact at just 15
Rajkovic was handed a promotion to the Valerenga first-team squad in January earlier this year, when he was only 14 years old.
Following that, he signed a new contract with the club in March, when he turned 15, committing to the club until 2028.
Despite being only 15, the winger has already begun gaining experience in first-team football. In all, he has made 14 senior appearances for the Norwegian outfit, scoring three and assisting one goal.
Rajkovic has also represented Norway Under-16s, making two appearances and scoring once despite being younger than many of his teammates.
Those numbers become more impressive when his age and stage of development are taken into account.
Real Madrid have built a reputation for identifying young talent well before players reach their peak, and Rajkovic has now emerged as another name on their scouting radar.
But given the number of clubs in the race, signing the teenage wonderkid will not be easy.
