Real Madrid News
Real Madrid’s four-man shortlist if Ancelotti leaves in the summer – report
As we approach the final phase of the 2022/23 campaign, there is a lot of noise surrounding the future of Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti.
The Italian tactician looked untouchable last year when he guided the team to La Liga, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Super Cup trophies.
However, missteps in the league has seen Los Blancos fall behind arch-rivals Barcelona by nine points and the title is already looking lost. Meanwhile, the Spanish capital club are also trailing in the Copa del Rey semi-final against the Blaugrana.
Real Madrid are still in a good position to qualify for the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League. But failure to win any major trophy this season could see the club part ways with Ancelotti, despite his contract running until 2024.
Amidst this, SportBILD is reporting that Real Madrid already have a four-man managerial shortlist prepared in case Ancelotti’s time at the Santiago Bernabeu comes to an end this season.
Thomas Tuchel is one of the names under consideration at Real Madrid as per the report. The German tactician is currently unattached after being sacked by Chelsea earlier this season.
The former Borussia Dortmund and PSG boss is believed to be keen on the job, with reports suggesting that he is already learning Spanish to prepare himself for the opportunity.
Another former PSG boss, Mauricio Pochettino, is believed to be on the list of the Merengues. The Argentine excelled during his time at Tottenham but his stint in Paris was far from memorable. But his stock remains high and Real Madrid view him as a possible contender.
Real Madrid are also looking at former midfielder and club legend Xabi Alonso as a potential managerial candidate should Ancelotti depart. The Spaniard is doing excellent things in his maiden job as a first-team manager at Bayer Leverkusen.
The 41-year-old spent time as a youth coach at Real Madrid for a year and trained the Real Sociedad B team for a period as well. He knows the club ethos and philosophy in and out, which makes him an option despite his lack of experience.
Finally, Real Madrid are also looking at Castilla manager Raul Gonzalez as a serious candidate to replace Ancelotti. The club legend has done a fine job with the club’s reserve team over the past couple of seasons.
People within the Real Madrid offices believe he is ready to take over as the first-team manager if Ancelotti is no longer in charge come summer.
Manchester City have now joined the ever-growing list of admirers for Celta Vigo midfielder and Real Madrid target Gabri Veiga, reports Jack Gaughan of the Daily Mail.
The 20-year-old midfielder has emerged as one of the breakout stars of La Liga this season, having impressed with his goalscoring abilities from the centre of the park. Indeed, the youngster has notched up nine goals in La Liga and his exploits have made the giants of Europe sit up and take notice.
Real Madrid are said to be interested in Veiga’s services heading into the summer. The Merengues have Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, and Dani Ceballos on expiring contracts and it is unlikely that all three will be renewed, especially with Jude Bellingham being on the agenda.
In case of Modric and Kroos, even if they stay, it will likely be for only a season at the most. Hence, Los Blancos could require more than one central midfielder come summer, with Veiga emerging as an option.
The 20-year-old was also attracting interest from the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Atletico Madrid. Now, Manchester City have also jumped on the bandwagon of clubs interested in Veiga’s services.
The Cityzens, who are battling Real Madrid for Bellingham as well, are set to lose Ilkay Gundogan in the summer when his contract expires. Meanwhile, Bernardo Silva’s future is also far from certain, thus necessitating the signing of another midfielder.
Veiga has a release clause worth €40 million in his contract with Celta Vigo, which should not be a problem for either Real Madrid or Manchester City.
Celta Vigo president Carlos Mourino recently admitted that the midfielder could leave the club in the summer, saying:
“We don’t want to sell Gabri Veiga, but they are going to buy him from us. And we can’t do anything there. We know some of his offers and it is impossible to reach them.
“There are several teams behind Gabri. Real Madrid? They haven’t asked us, we don’t know if they will have called the player. Of the top 10 in the Premier League, four have asked about him.”
It will certainly be interesting to see whether Real Madrid are prepared to go all out for Veiga’s signing or decide to entirely focus on their pursuit of Bellingham.
