Real Madrid News
Real Madrid’s latest signing likely to don the No. 24 shirt – report
Earlier today, Real Madrid officially announced the signing of Arda Guler from Fenerbahce. The Turkish youngster arrives on a six-year deal and will join the first team dynamics under Carlo Ancelotti despite being just 18 years of age.
It is believed that Real Madrid shelled out €20 million for the youngster’s services, a tad bit higher than his release clause of €17.5 million. In addition, Los Blancos agreed to pay around €10 million in add-ons while Fenerbahce will also get 20% of any future sale.
At the time of his arrival, however, only two numbers in the squad were up for grabs – No. 9 and 24. Considering the player’s age and position on the field, however, his number in the team was not difficult to guess.
AS suggest that Guler will likely don the No. 24 for Real Madrid in the 2023-24 season. After all, the No. 9 has historically been reserved for strikers and will become Kylian Mbappe’s number should he arrive.
The No. 24 is not a bad place for the Turkish star to begin his journey at the Spanish capital. In fact, some of the team’s most vital midfielders have donned the kit including Sami Khedira, Dani Ceballos, and Claude Makelele.
In the long run, however, Güler will inevitably switch to a more central number in the team. Reports suggest that club legend Luka Modric sees the youngster as the heir to his No. 10 kit and has even personally conveyed his desire to the Turkish international.
“I’m leaving next season, and I want you to have my jersey (10) next,” Modric is believed to have told the wonderkid.
The latest signing will make his debut for the club in the pre-season tour scheduled in the United States of America.
Aurelien Tchouameni has had an exciting start to his career at Real Madrid. Since joining the club for almost €80 million last summer, the young Frenchman has now become a pivotal figure in Real Madrid’s midfield unit.
However, prior to his move to Santiago Bernabeu, the midfielder was closely linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
In a recent interview, Tchouameni opened up on his links to PSG but revealed his decision to join Real Madrid.
Aurelien Tchouameni on PSG links
Talking about speculations linking him to PSG, Tchouameni said (h/t Madrid Zone), “PSG? Frankly, I thought about it. It’s a very big European club, we want the French clubs to succeed.”
“But honestly, when Real Madrid calls you, it’s very complicated to say no,” Tchouameni added.
The midfielder was linked with a move to PSG during his time at AS Monaco. Les Parisiens wanted to sign the youngster as part of their plans to reinforce the midfield unit.
Tchouameni, though, ended up opting for a move to Real Madrid, which turned out to be a prudent decision from the midfielder’s end.
Tchouameni’s career at Real Madrid
Aurelien Tchouameni made a total of 50 competitive appearances during his maiden season at Real Madrid.
Although the Frenchman was not entirely a first-team regular in Carlo Ancelotti’s setup, his stature in the team is expected to grow in the coming years.
Especially as Toni Kroos and Luka Modric move on at the end of the season, there is scope for Tchouameni to become a first-team regular in the Real Madrid midfield in the years to come.
The former AS Monaco starlet has already played a crucial role in the starting eleven so far this season and it is only going to continue as the season progresses.
