Real Madrid News
Real Madrid want to finalise deal for 19-year-old sensation in January – report
It is no secret that Real Madrid are in the market for a new midfielder. Amid worries over the continuity of Toni Kroos, the club are determined to add fresh blood in their midfield department, with Jude Bellingham emerging as the top target.
The Borussia Dortmund starlet, regarded as one of the best young talents in world football, is coming on the back of an excellent World Cup campaign with England, where he helped the Three Lions reach the quarterfinal stage.
Earlier reports had claimed that Real Madrid have made Bellingham a priority target at the end of the season, as they wanted him as a direct replacement for Luka Modric.
But it appears Bellingham’s arrival will not alter Modric’s role at the club. In fact, the club want to accommodate both players in the same squad and with that in mind, they are looking to accelerate the deal to sign the Englishman, reports Ramon Alvarez de Mon.
The Whites are hoping to speed up the negotiations with Borussia Dortmund, with the hopes of reaching an agreement and even completing a deal during the January transfer window for Bellingham to arrive in the summer.
Although Los Blancos currently have no agreement with Dortmund, finalising an agreement in January itself could serve as a major blow for other interested parties such as Liverpool and Manchester City, who were hoping to sign the Englishman at the end of the season.
Coach Jurgen Klopp had identified the former Birmingham starlet as the ideal man to lead the new-look Liverpool midfield unit. The German had even instructed Jordan Henderson to convince the youngster to move to Anfield next season.
But reports suggest Bellingham is ready to snub Liverpool in favour of a move to Real Madrid. It will be interesting to see whether the Whites will be successful in their quest to finalise an agreement for the 19-year-old next month.
According to Jose Felix Diaz of MARCA, Real Madrid still consider Carlo Ancelotti as the ideal man to coach the team next season amid all sorts of speculations surrounding his future.
Ancelotti returned to Real Madrid for a second stint as manager in 2021, replacing Zinedine Zidane. The Italian mastermind led Los Blancos to the La Liga title and the UEFA Champions League triumph in his very first season back at the club.
However, things have not gone according to plans for Ancelotti & co. this season. Real Madrid are 12 points below Barcelona in La Liga, are also behind them in the Copa del Rey semi-final tie and face a difficult route to the finals of the UEFA Champions League.
So even though he has won the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup this season, reports have claimed that Ancelotti could be sacked by Real Madrid if he does not lead the team to a major title.
In the meantime, the Brazil national team have made their interest in hiring Ancelotti as their next manager clear, which has only served to fuel speculations further.
Amidst this, the report states that Real Madrid continue to see Ancelotti as the ideal man to coach the team for the next season. The Italian, for his part, has always maintained that he does not wish to leave the Santiago Bernabeu before his contract expires in 2024.
“I want to continue at Real Madrid. I’m happy. I’ve already said many times that I would continue my whole life at Real Madrid,” he had said in the recent past.
At this point, neither Ancelotti has made any commitments to the Brazilian national team, nor Real Madrid have made a decision on his continuity. The Merengues have not approached any replacement candidates either despite links to Mauricio Pochettino, Raul Gonzalez and Julian Nagelsmann.
Furthermore, it is also claimed that Ancelotti continues to participate and have a say in all meetings with regard to planning for the future at Real Madrid.
However, while the club may remain committed to him at this point, there is no guarantee that the situation will change in the summer, especially if the objectives for the season are not met and Real feel the need to make some changes to their project.
