Real Madrid News
Real Madrid yet to contact Inter Milan in the pursuit of Italian international
After two consecutive seasons with utter disappointment, Real Madrid are serious about a rebuild this summer and coach Jose Mourinho has taken a particular interest in shoring up his team’s defences.
The club have already brought in three new faces to reinforce the defence heading into the new season, but it appears Mourinho wants to add one more centre-back to his ranks.
Alessandro Bastoni has emerged as one of the top picks, though Real Madrid have yet to make any inroads.
No contacts with Inter Milan
According to Fabrizio Romano, despite the volume of rumours and questions surrounding a potential deal, Real Madrid have made zero approaches to Inter Milan for the defender as of today.
Romano adds that Inter have not received any official bids or inquiries from Real Madrid regarding Bastoni, and the widely reported interest has yet to translate into anything concrete.
Just as significantly, Inter remain fully convinced about their defender and intend to continue with him for the upcoming season.
The Italian giants have no desire to sell one of their most important players, and without any formal approach from Real Madrid, there is currently nothing for them to even consider.
As per Romano, there is a significant difference between a club appreciating a player and actually launching a concrete operation to sign them. Bastoni may well be admired at the Bernabeu, but admiration alone does not constitute a transfer pursuit.
A crowded centre-back shortlist
Bastoni is far from the only name on Real Madrid’s radar as they look to reinforce their defensive options.
The club have already added Ibrahima Konate to their ranks, but Mourinho is understood to want at least one more centre-back before the window closes.
Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck has also been linked, though his recent ankle ligament injury, which ruled him out of the World Cup, may complicate that interest.
Meanwhile, a move for Manchester City’s Ruben Dias is considered highly unlikely given City’s reluctance to sell.
The situation is further tied to outgoings, with the likes of Raul Asencio potentially needing to depart to create space for any new central defensive addition.
After a month into the new season, Aurelien Tchouameni is finally back in action for Real Madrid.
The Frenchman made his first appearance of the season for the Merengues last night against Inter Milan after recovering from the muscular injury that delayed his campaign.
His return to fitness had raised questions over where he would fit into Mourinho’s plans.
Tchouameni has been a regular in Real Madrid’s midfield for several seasons under different managers, but the end of last season was far less straightforward.
His confrontation with Federico Valverde, combined with speculation over his future at the club, created uncertainty about his position. His lack of a proper pre-season also appeared to put him behind other midfield options.
Bernardo Silva had established himself as an important figure, while Eduardo Camavinga was also ahead of Tchouameni in terms of match fitness.
With Real Madrid looking for greater creativity in midfield, there were questions over whether the Frenchman would still be a first-choice player.
Key for Mourinho
According to AS (h/t Bernabeu Digital), however, Mourinho has no such doubts. Tchouameni remains a key player for the Portuguese coach and is expected to be a starter.
Mourinho sees the French international as a midfielder without a direct replacement in the squad.
For Jose, Tchouameni provides something that none of the other midfielders in the squad do – a more defensive and positional presence, combining his tactical discipline with considerable physical strength.
His ability to shield the defence and provide balance could be particularly important for a Real Madrid side that want to defend aggressively and attack quickly in transition.
For that reason, his absence at the start of the campaign has not changed the manager’s view of his importance.
Mourinho faces a midfield selection problem
The challenge for Mourinho now is finding a way to fit all the pieces together.
If Tchouameni is guaranteed a starting position and Valverde is considered untouchable as captain, the obvious consequence is that Bernardo could find himself starting from the bench.
The summer arrival had been given an important role in helping Real Madrid control and distribute possession from deeper positions.
However, with Tchouameni and Valverde both occupying midfield places, Mourinho cannot accommodate everyone in the same lineup.
How the Portuguese coach manages that competition will be interesting to see in the coming weeks.
