Real Madrid News
Serie A ace ‘one of the favourites’ to reinforce Real Madrid’s midfield next summer
Napoli mainstay Stanislav Lobotka is one of the favourite candidates to reinforce Real Madrid’s midfield department next summer, claims Italian journalist Giacomo Iacobellis.
Lobotka has been linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu in recent weeks, with Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti said to be a keen admirer of the 28-year-old.
The midfielder has been one of Napoli’s top performers this season under Luciano Spalletti and has been key to their ascent to the top of the Serie A standings.
And, it seems like the Slovakian has done more than enough to convince Los Blancos to consider a move for him next summer, according to Iacobellis.
The journalist claims that Ancelotti, who had managed Napoli before, was keen on Fabian Ruiz as well as Lobotka in the past. However, the former is no longer a possibility after joining PSG this past summer. But, Lobotka seems to be a genuine possibility for the summer.
“There is no doubt that, to this day, Lobotka is one of the favorites to reinforce Real Madrid’s midfield. Ancelotti wanted Fabián and Lobotka; the first is not going to be possible anymore, the second is,” Iacobellis said.
Furthermore, the TMW journalist even added that there have already been contacts made to explore the possibility of a transfer. A move in January seems unlikely as the midfielder wants to win the Serie A title with Napoli, but a summer switch could be on the cards.
“There have already been contacts between I see it as very complicated for January, because Lobotka and Napoli want to win the Scudetto together.
“But if Madrid makes a good offer in the summer (€55-60M), De Laurentiis does not have the financial strength to say no. And the player would love to return to LaLiga as a star signing for Real Madrid.”
A defensive midfielder by trade, Lobotka could be seen as a player who can compete with Aurelien Tchouameni for the No. 6 spot, while Los Blancos also look for another midfielder as a long-term replacement for Luka Modric.
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.
