Real Madrid News
Report: Real Madrid have discarded the signing of €120 million Bundesliga forward
Kylian Mbappe’s decision to snub Real Madrid did not go down well with the club’s administration. The instant reaction from Los Blancos was to look for an immediate replacement as the marquee signing.
According to reports from Tomas Gonzalez (h/t Madrid Xtra), Real Madrid were interested in signing Christopher Nkunku in the summer.
The Bundesliga side are said to have demanded a fee of €120 million for their French star. The 24-year-old forward had a spectacular season in 2021-22, which has got several sides interested in his services.
However, the operation was aborted because of the high asking price of RB Leipzig.
Last season, Nkunku made 31 league starts in Germany, scoring 20 goals and providing 13 assists. More recently, he has also provided two assists in four games for the French international team in the Nations League.
Recently, RB Leipzig CEO Oliver Mintzlaff spoke about the forward’s future and insisted that the club did not contemplate selling him.
“I have said it before, and I will say it again here: Nkunku will be our player again next season. Our goal is to keep the team together for next season.”
With the asking price set so high, it remains to be seen if any club pursues his signature in the current transfer window. As for Real Madrid, the club will not look to splash money on any player after shelling out in excess of €100 million for Aurelien Tchouameni.
The Frenchman is expected to sign a contract extension with RB Leipzig in the coming days. His new contract is reported to include a €60 million release clause, putting interested clubs like PSG, Liverpool and Manchester United on high alert.
Jose Felix Diaz has reported via MARCA that Real Madrid want a major change in the Spanish refereeing system.
The reporter writes that the team from the Spanish capital has taken the issue as their top priority mostly because of what happened in the recent derby defeat against Atletico Madrid.
Los Blancos are determined to relentlessly steer a significant overhaul of the refereeing structure, and they have no intention of resting in their pursuit.
Their discontent comes not only from recent events, particularly the contentious derby match but also from a deep-seated frustration with the state of refereeing itself.
Real Madrid not hiding their discontent
The journalist mentions that Real Madrid are unapologetic about their continuous criticism of the refereeing community, firmly believing that a transformation is of utmost importance.
Even prior to the emergence of the Negreira case, the Merengues had been vocal about their dissatisfaction with those responsible for overseeing the refereeing unit.
For what it is worth, the revelation of the former vice president of the CTA’s financial ties to Barcelona only solidified Real Madrid’s resolve to advocate for a complete overhaul in referee management.
Real Madrid are suspicious
Real Madrid firmly assert that any influence from Negreira’s historical decisions in certain key positions raises suspicions about the fairness of the competition.
For that, the management will do everything in its power to achieve a certain level of transparency within the organization that it believes is currently overshadowed by historical baggage.
As of today, Real Madrid continue to voice their concerns through their official channels.
Right now their ultimate goal is to eliminate the involvement of Clos Gomez in VAR decisions, marking the beginning of a long-standing battle they are fighting.
