Real Madrid News
Real Madrid’s 32-year-old veteran turned down several offers to stay at the club
According to a report from MARCA, Real Madrid defender Lucas Vazquez, who turned 32 today, has rejected several offers from European clubs in order to continue at the Santiago Bernabeu.
A product of the club’s youth academy, Vazquez got his break into the first team in 2015 after a loan stint away at RCD Espanyol. Since then, the 32-year-old has been an important squad member for Los Blancos contributing with his versatility and terrific work ethic.
One of the longest-serving members left in the current squad, Vazquez has made 311 appearances for Real Madrid, scoring 33 and assisting 57 goals.
Having started out as a winger, Vazquez has now transformed himself into a right-back and serves as the backup to Dani Carvajal in the position.
Given his experience and versatility, the report states that several offers came the Spanish international’s way in recent weeks, especially considering the fact that his contract stands to expire exactly in a year.
Juventus were understood to be one of those suitors interested in Vazquez, with the Italians seeking to reinforce their right-back position this summer.
However, Vazquez turned down all approaches and proposals that came his way as he has no intentions of leaving Real Madrid this summer.
As for whether there will be a renewal for the 32-year-old next year, there is no information on that.
But, Vazquez staying put for the next season is an important decision from the club’s point of view as Real Madrid do not intend to sign a new full-back this summer even though manager Carlo Ancelotti wishes to reinforce the positions.
One of the biggest positives for Real Madrid from the last season was the breakthrough of young midfielder Thiago Pitarch.
The 19-year-old La Fabrica prospect had been in the first-team dynamics since pre-season under Xabi Alonso, but finally got his senior debut under Alvaro Arbeloa at the turn of the year.
From that moment on, Pitarch did not look back at all, gaining prominence in the team and even starting important matches ahead of established players like Eduardo Camavinga and Dani Ceballos.
However, things have not gone as per plans for the teenager this season as he has yet to play a single minute of first-team football.
January loan no longer ruled out
As such, Diario AS now reports that Pitarch would consider leaving Real Madrid on loan during the January transfer window if his situation does not improve.
The teenage midfielder suffered an injury in pre-season which kept him sidelined for a few weeks, denying him an opportunity to start the season under Jose Mourinho.
By the time he returned, the Portuguese tactician had already identified his preferred hierarchy in midfield, with the likes of Federico Valverde, Bernardo Silva, Aurelien Tchouameni and Camavinga firmly ahead in the pecking order.
A stark difference from his debut season
In his debut season, Pitarch ended with 16 first-team appearances for Real Madrid with two assists to his name.
In contrast, this term, the academy graduate has been called up to the matchday squad for five games by Mourinho this term, but has yet to play a single minute of football.
Given the situation, he used the international break to jump down to Castilla and play close to 250 minutes across three games, during which he also registered an assist.
The situation is far from ideal for a young talent who needs regular minutes to continue his development and build on his impressive breakthrough campaign.
As such, the possibility of a departure on loan in January could be considered, after Pitarch turned down offers in the summer to stay at Real Madrid.
A lot will depend on how things evolve in the next couple of months, but a temporary exit cannot be ruled out.
