Real Madrid News
Saudi Arabia plot January double raid for Real Madrid veteran duo – report
The summer transfer window this year saw the emergence of Saudi Arabia as a major force in the market, as they recruited top players from Europe by offering lucrative contracts.
Having roped in Cristiano Ronaldo back in January itself, the Saudi Arabian teams roped in top stars such as Sadio Mane, Kalidou Koulibaly, Marcelo Brozovic, and Neymar, among others.
Real Madrid were not spared from the Saudi Arabian splurge as former captain and Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema opted to move to Al-Ittihad.
Saudi Arabia eyeing January double raid on Real Madrid
The oil-rich nation also tried to sign two other Real Madrid stars in the form of Luka Modric and David Alaba, both of whom were presented with lucrative contracts.
However, the duo rejected the proposals and opted to continue at the Santiago Bernabeu.
But, ESport3 is now reporting that Saudi Arabia are already plotting their next European raid for January and will attempt to sign both Modric and Alaba once again in the winter window.
Along with the two Real Madrid veteran stars, the Middle Eastern nation are also looking at several other players like Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne, Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski, and Mohamed Salah of Liverpool, among others.
Alaba, Modric in contrasting situations
With four matches into the 2023/24 season, Alaba and Modric find themselves in very contrasting situations at Real Madrid.
The Austrian centre-half is a permanent fixture in the starting XI, especially after the long-term injury to Eder Militao, and as such, had no doubts about rejecting a fat contract offer from Saudi very recently.
As for Modric, though, he has found himself warming the benches this season as Carlo Ancelotti ushers in a new era in Real Madrid’s midfield department.
The veteran superstar admitted recently that he is not entirely happy with the situation, saying:
“Nobody is happy when they are out of the game. After all in my career, where I’m not sure I’ve ever been on the bench for three games in a row, I found that feeling especially strange.”
And that is something that Saudi Arabia could look to capitalise on in January, although Modric has vowed to continue to fight for his place at Real Madrid.
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.
