Real Madrid News
Spanish police arrest three individuals over racial abuse charges against Vinicius Jr
According to BBC, police in Spain have arrested three young fans in Valencia over the charges of racial abuse targeted towards Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. Local police have confirmed that the culprits are aged between 18 and 21.
Real Madrid’s 0-1 defeat at the hands of Valencia was marred by a series of unfortunate incidents.
The match was paused in the second half when the footballer complained to the referee about Valencia fans making racist chants against him. “I don’t want to play anymore,” he said to the official.
Later in the game, he got into an altercation with the Valencia goalkeeper before slapping one of the players which prompted the referee to give him his marching orders, although none of the Valencia stars who were involved in the melee were punished.
After the game, the 22-year-old made a prompt comment on the incident, saying that “La Liga belongs to racists.”
Reacting to his comment, La Liga president Javier Tebas said that Vinicius has been invited to the meetings to discuss what it “can do in cases of racism” but the footballer has never turned up. Tebas added that “Before you criticise and slander La Liga, you need to inform yourself properly.”
All this has put Real Madrid in a difficult state as it is said that the footballer’s continuity is not guaranteed.
While these are nothing but floating rumours, the problem continues to persist and Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has assured Vinicius that the team will take every possible step to defend and support him and ensure actions are taken against those who targeted him with racial slurs during the Valencia clash.
Valencia had vowed to hand lifetime bans to anyone found guilty in the incident and will be doing so to the trio that has been arrested by the police.
Earlier today, the Spanish police had also arrested four other individuals who were involved in the hanging of Vinicius’ effigy off a bridge ahead of the Madrid derby. While the arrest is a positive step, it is sad that it happened as many as three months after the incident had occurred.
Real Madrid News
Chelsea, Liverpool ready to move for Real Madrid midfield target in January – report
Real Madrid are keeping a close eye on Alex Scott’s situation. The AFC Bournemouth midfielder has been impressing in the Premier League and recently made his debut for the England national team.
Given their need for a midfield reinforcement, Real Madrid are tracking the youngster as the Spanish giants believe he could provide a different profile to complement their existing options.
Chelsea, Liverpool ready to move in January
According to TEAMtalk (h/t Bernabeu Digital), Real Madrid intend to continue monitoring Scott throughout the season before deciding whether to make a move in next summer’s transfer window.
However, they could face competition from the Premier League, with Liverpool and Chelsea also tracking the 23-year-old.
Both Premier League clubs are preparing substantial offers for Scott ahead of the January transfer window.
Bournemouth have placed an €80 million valuation on the midfielder, although the club have no intention of selling him in January and would prefer to consider a departure next summer.
The Cherries are already looking at potential replacements and have identified Fer Lopez as a long-term successor.
Real Madrid prepared to wait until the summer
Real Madrid are already planning their recruitment strategy for next summer, monitoring several players before deciding which targets to pursue when the transfer window opens.
For now, the Merengues are not expected to make a move for Scott in January. Instead, they intend to continue assessing his performances and availability over the coming months.
If the Bournemouth midfielder becomes available from June onwards, the Spanish capital giants will then decide whether to make a formal approach.
Their preference to wait could leave the door open for Liverpool and Chelsea to move first, particularly if either club are prepared to meet Bournemouth’s valuation during the winter window.
In the meantime, Jose Mourinho & co. are also keeping an eye on other options to strengthen their midfield. In fact, recent reports suggest that an enquiry has been made for Napoli star Scott McTominay.
The Scotsman contract with the Serie A side expires in 2028 and with his club not offering a renewal so far, he could emerge as a serious option.
