Real Madrid News
Real Madrid will pursue Mbappe or Haaland in the future only on one condition
Even though Real Madrid lost out on the signings of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, there is a sense amongst Madridistas that a move for either superstar forward could be made in the near future.
However, a fresh revelation has suggested that completing a deal for either player is not as easy as it has been made out.
As per a report by MARCA, Real Madrid do not expect to merely sign either Mbappe or Haaland in a few years’ time.
For instance, in the case of the latter, the Spanish club do not feel they will merely pounce at the chance to sign him, regardless of the clauses in his current contract to make a potential deal possible.
This stance stems from the fact that Carlo Ancelotti’s side firmly believe that any deal should be ‘clear and affordable’ for them to pursue in the near future. They will not put their transfer plans on hold to sign either of the pair if they seem that a deal could be unfeasible.
In the summer of 2022, it seemed as if the club were hell-bent on signing either Kylian Mbappe or Haaland.
Los Blancos’ attempts to win the race to sign Haaland also went in vain, with Manchester City’s project convincing him to put pen to paper.
As for Mbappe, in particular, a move seemed inevitable, till the 23-year-old made a drastic U-turn by extending his contract with PSG.
Hence, the club ultimately ended up bringing in no forward in the transfer window. As a result, the dependence on Karim Benzema and Vinicius Jr. to score goals and win matches singlehandedly remains huge this season.
Keeping this in mind, Real Madrid could be set for a change in strategy, as putting all their eggs in one basket cost them heavy this summer.
The cloud of uncertainty over Karim Benzema’s future has served as a major headache for the Real Madrid board, as they kickstart their team planning ahead of the new season.
Recent reports claim the Frenchman is strongly considering a move to Saudi Arabia, after receiving a lucrative €150 million offer from Al Ittihad. He was close to renewing his contract at Santiago Bernabeu not too long ago, but it appears the tables have turned lately.
Nevertheless, Real Madrid are yet to give up on Benzema and still harbour hopes of renewing his contract in the coming weeks, reports Alfredo Matilla.
The Spanish journalist suggests Real Madrid have not closed the file on Benzema. Coach Carlo Ancelotti has recently met the forward to clarify his future and it appears the club are set to do everything they can to keep hold of the player.
Benzema’s departure, after all, could put the club in a major dilemma, where they must either sign a top-class striker or settle for a low-cost alternative for the entirety of next season.
Harry Kane has been earmarked as the ideal replacement for Benzema. But his acquisition could potentially jeopardise Real Madrid’s bid to sign either Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe in 2024. The club have also faced difficulties negotiating with Daniel Levy, the Spurs chairman.
As far as the low-cost options are concerned, Real Madrid are interested in Roberto Firmino, who will become a free agent in the summer.
However, the Brazilian international is not the most productive striker around and his struggles in front of goal could put more pressure on players like Vinicius Junior next season.
Real Madrid, therefore, will hope to keep hold of Benzema’s services for another year. Unfortunately, though, the player has given a cold response so far and left training early, without speaking too much.
So it will be interesting to see whether or not the veteran striker opts to remain at Bernabeu for another year.
