Real Madrid News
Real Madrid working on offloading three more out-of-favour players – report
It has been a week of exits and goodbyes at Real Madrid as the club confirmed that Marco Asensio, Eden Hazard, Mariano Diaz, and Karim Benzema will all be leaving soon.
However, the exits are still not done at the Santiago Bernabeu as El Mundo is reporting that Real Madrid are working on offloading three more players in the form of Jesus Vallejo, Alvaro Odriozola, and Andriy Lunin.
None of the three players mentioned are regulars under Carlo Ancelotti and rarely featured during the 2022/23 campaign.
Vallejo has been at Real Madrid since 2015, although a majority of that time has been spent away on loan. The 26-year-old played just four times (88 minutes) this season, with David Alaba, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, and Nacho ahead of him in the pecking order.
So, it does not come as a surprise to see that Los Blancos wish to sell him. However, it has been reported that Vallejo is not too keen on leaving the club, which could pose a challenge.
As for Odriozola, he appears to be much more receptive to a potential exit in the summer, having hardly played over the course of the past year. Indeed, the right-back has featured in six matches (93 minutes) and has no future at the club.
With Real Sociedad and Athletic Club understood to be interested, Odriozola’s exit could be easy to sort out for the Merengues.
Meanwhile, Lunin, too, has had to suffice with minutes only when the first-choice goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois has been unavailable. Given his age and the need to play regularly, it was expected that the Ukrainian might push for a summer exit.
Irrespective of whether he does or not, Real Madrid are prepared to sanction a sale and plan to bring in a more seasoned option to provide cover for Courtois next season.
Real Madrid News
Bellingham on his special assist in Girona 0-3 Real Madrid: “Been watching Luka every day”
Real Madrid usurped the top spot in the La Liga standings from arch-rivals FC Barcelona as they defeated Girona 3-0 away at Estadi Montilivi.
It was a fine performance from Carlo Ancelotti’s men against Michel’s side, with the returning Jude Bellingham leading the way for his team.
After being benched against Las Palmas in midweek, the England international returned to the starting XI today and turned in yet another Man of the Match display for Real Madrid.
It all started with Joselu opening the scoring just 15 minutes into the game, with Bellingham assisting the goal with a special, outside-of-the-boot pass from the left side, bringing back memories of Luka Modric doing something similar a few years ago.
Talking about that special pass, Bellingham said: “I’ve been watching Luka every day for months. I just want to be creative. It took the pressure off us at the start.”
On the match and the result, the 20-year-old stated that it was a good day across the board for Real Madrid, as he said: “It was an important win. They were doing very well. We made a statement of intent to La Liga. Three goals, a clean sheet….”
It has been a truly remarkable start to life at Real Madrid for Bellingham and expressing how he feels to play for the Merengues, he exclaimed:
“I feel very good. I have freedom of movement and I’m enjoying football. Whenever I put on this shirt I always try to do my best.”
Apart from assisting Joselu’s opener, Bellingham also got his name on the scoresheet in the second period. Talking about his goal, the wonderkid said:
“It wasn’t a very good finish. I could have scored some more, but the important thing is the victory.”
The strike meant that Bellingham now has seven goals and two assists across all competitions for Real Madrid. Reflecting on his brilliant start, he said:
“It’s a good start, not bad. I would like to continue on this path and I won’t always score or assist, but I will always give my best.”
Bellingham’s celebration has been a huge hit, with kids in school, players from other clubs, and many others mimicking it. When asked how his special celebration originated, he replied:
“I don’t know where I first celebrated. I think it was with Birmingham. It’s an inspiration to see kids doing it in schools. It’s a wonderful thing.”
Source: AS
