Real Madrid News
Serie A winger reacts to praise from Ancelotti, names two Real Madrid icons as his idols
During the period between May 2018 and December 2019, Carlo Ancelotti was the man in charge of Napoli. His spell at the Serie A side was far from his best stints and he left the Italians after 19 months for Everton.
Yet, there is still a deep sense of respect between the manager and his former side. Earlier today, Napoli phenomenon Khvicha Kvaratskhelia expressed his happiness over receiving praise from Ancelotti as revealed by Corriere dello Sport.
“Ancelotti called me special? It’s a great emotion, he made me happy & I thank him from the bottom of my heart,” the winger said.
The response comes in light of Ancelotti’s interview earlier this week where he spoke about Napoli’s strong start to the season and their game-changing summer signings. During that conversation, he has only words of praise for Kvaratskhelia.
“Kvaratskhelia surprise? He is a special player. We were already following him when I was at Napoli,” Ancelotti had said.
Further elaborating on his adulation for Real Madrid, Kvaratskhelia then revealed that both of his footballing idols were Real Madrid legends, Cristiano Ronaldo and Guti.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is my idol, even if my first one was Real Madrid’s Guti. When I played in the streets of Tbilisi, I wore a white shirt, writing his name on the back.”
The 21-year-old completed his move from Dinamo Batumi to Italy in a deal worth €10 million in July. With less than half the over, the club are already convinced they got their man on a bargain.
In his first eight games for Napoli, the Georgian international has scored five goals and provided two assists. Quite clearly, he did not require much time to adapt to his new environment.
The youngster is now on the radars of Chelsea and Liverpool given his strong performances. It remains to be seen if Real Madrid jump into the race for him eventually, especially given that Ancelotti has his eye on him.
Real Madrid have finally received some good news as MARCA confirms that Nacho has finally made his decision about his future, and is set to continue at the club for the foreseeable future.
His contract expires in the summer, and Real Madrid had tabled an extension for the player, which was not accepted by the Spaniard at the time. Now, however, he has decided to reject offers from Juventus, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Inter Milan, and AC Milan.
Nacho will sign a one year extension, with the option to extend for another year if both parties reach an agreement.
His continuity also means that he will be the new club captain for the 2023/24 season, since Karim Benzema is leaving the club on a free transfer in the summer. Luka Modric will be second captain, followed by Daniel Carvajal and Toni Kroos.
Carlo Ancelotti has also spoken to the player, confirming that they trust him for next season in the team, which has gone a long way in helping convince the player.
The Italian gaffer also spoke about the Spanish defender’s contract situation after the game against Athletic Club yesterday, saying:
“Asensio, Nacho and Ceballos? We have explained them their roles. The club have offered them renewals. Asensio has preferred to leave, Ceballos and Nacho are still thinking about it.”
While a centre-back by trade, Nacho has played across the defence for Madrid continuously, including putting shifts at left-back, right-back, and even centre-back.
His departure would have probably pushed Madrid to sign another defender, especially since they are considering selling Ferland Mendy if a good offer arrives.
Regardless of that, though, Madrid are moving to sign Alphonso Davies, and have already made initial contacts with the player. Bayern Munich have not rejected their advances.
Further, the los blancos management have already met with Davies’ entourage twice, cementing their interest in the Canadian ace.
