Real Madrid News
Real Madrid’s €8 million buyback clause for La Liga winger valid until July 30 – report
Having left Real Madrid last summer, Victor Munoz has enjoyed a fine debut season with CA Osasuna in La Liga. So much so that the young winger even earned his Spain national team debut earlier this year, where he also scored a goal.
Given his progression, Munoz is already attracting strong interest from several clubs, including Real Madrid’s arch-rivals FC Barcelona.
Los Blancos, though, still own 50% of the Spanish winger’s economic rights and also have a buyback option worth €8 million in their agreement with Osasuna.
Deadline to activate buyback clause
Now, according to journalist Marcos Benito on El Chiringuito TV, Real Madrid have a deadline of July 30 before which they will have to decide whether or not to activate Munoz’s buyback clause.
Once the deadline passes, Los Blancos will have to wait until next year to re-sign Munoz, as they have buyback options for 2027 and 2028 embedded in the deal.
A similar arrangement exists for another of their former academy gems, Nico Paz, for whom the deadline is May 30.
There have been contradicting reports as far as Real Madrid’s intentions with Munoz in the upcoming summer are concerned.
Some sources have suggested that the Merengues have already decided to re-sign him and have him in the squad for the pre-season in the summer. Other outlets have claimed that a final decision has not been made yet.
Either way, with the possibility of Barcelona swooping him lurking, Real Madrid could end up executing their buyback option for the Spanish international.
So far in his debut season with Osasuna, Munoz has played 33 games in all competitions, scoring six and assisting five goals.
Bernardo Silva was one of Real Madrid’s headline signings last summer. The Portuguese midfielder arrived on a free transfer from Manchester City and appeared destined to become the creative successor to Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in the middle of the park.
Indeed, with the club having not signed a new central midfielder, many within Real Madrid saw the veteran star as a solution to the issue.
Manager Jose Mourinho made him a starter from the very beginning in pre-season, but not in his usual role on the right. Instead, he deployed his compatriot as a deep-lying playmaker in the midfield double pivot.
A change in circumstances
Silva failed to have the expected influence when operating in a deeper role in midfield in the chances he got.
Combined with the emergence of Arda Guler and Aurelien Tchouameni’s return to fitness, the Portuguese international has now lost his place in the starting line-up and dropped to the bench.
Bernardo’s situation became particularly striking against Villarreal this past Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu, when he did not play a single minute.
Limited opportunities under Mourinho
Bernardo has played six matches for Real Madrid, starting three and coming on as a substitute in another three.
He did not feature against Villarreal or Elche, while his only appearance in the last three matches was a little over 10 minutes against Atletico Madrid. He was not used regularly by the Portugal national team during the international break either.
Across Real Madrid’s eight La Liga fixtures, Silva has accumulated just 282 minutes of playing time.
The Champions League now presents another opportunity for the former Manchester City captain, who has yet to make his European debut for Real Madrid this season.
He missed the match against Inter Milan because he was still serving a suspension carried over from his time at the Etihad Stadium last season.
It remains to be seen whether Mourinho will give him an opportunity against AS Roma in the coming week.
For now, the midfielder’s reduced playing time suggests that the Portuguese coach has lost some of his faith in a player who arrived with high expectations after leaving Manchester City.
