Real Madrid News
Villarreal eye last-minute swoop for out-of-favour Real Madrid defender – report
Villarreal have enjoyed a solid start to the 2022/23 La Liga season with seven points in their opening three games. The Yellow Submarine are undefeated so far, recording two wins and one draw.
The focus is now to keep their momentum going. At the club, it is believed that signing a quality right-back will be a big step towards that objective, following the injury to first-choice option Juan Foyth.
According to reports from MARCA, Real Madrid outcast Alvaro Odriozola has emerged as a real option for Villarreal.
Los Blancos have the right-back position well covered with Dani Carvajal as the first choice and Lucas Vazquez as a competent backup option. With Vinicius Tobias also available, Odriozola, as it appears, is surplus.
Real Madrid have been working towards his exit for several months now, but have failed to engineer the transfer. The biggest hurdle in his departure is his high wages that clubs are not willing to cover.
Yesterday, it was reported that Real Sociedad, Odriozola’s former club, were interested in signing him back. While the option of returning home is tempting, it will not be easy for the player to turn down Villarreal, who now see him as a replacement for the injured Foyth.
Last season, the 26-year-old Odriozola played on loan at Fiorentina. In 25 league appearances, he scored one goal and provided one assist. However, he averaged just four defensive actions per game and oversaw three clean sheets.
It remains to be seen if Real Madrid cover a part of Odriozola’s salary or if the player takes a wage cut in order to secure a transfer to Villarreal. A decision will have to be made soon, given that the transfer window will close in a little over a day.
According to TeamTalk, Real Madrid have joined the growing list of clubs monitoring Gabriel Rajkovic, a 15-year-old winger whose rapid development at Valerenga has already attracted attention from several of Europe’s leading sides.
The Merengues are known for keeping an eye on exciting young talent across the globe and it seems that Rajkovic’s exploits in Norway, with the first team, have alerted them.
Real Madrid keeping tabs on Rajkovic
As per the report, Real Madrid are among a host of clubs closely following the progress of the young forward.
Rajkovic holds both Norwegian and Serbian nationality and has emerged as one of the most promising young players in Norway.
His development has not gone unnoticed, with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund also understood to be monitoring him.
However, at this point, it is Arsenal and Chelsea, who are understood to be leading the charge for Rajkovic, having compiled a detailed dossier on the teenage prodigy after extensive scouting.
On top of that, the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have all watched Rajkovic in recent weeks.
Real Madrid could therefore face significant competition if they decide to step up their interest in a player who has already made an impression at senior level.
Making an impact at just 15
Rajkovic was handed a promotion to the Valerenga first-team squad in January earlier this year, when he was only 14 years old.
Following that, he signed a new contract with the club in March, when he turned 15, committing to the club until 2028.
Despite being only 15, the winger has already begun gaining experience in first-team football. In all, he has made 14 senior appearances for the Norwegian outfit, scoring three and assisting one goal.
Rajkovic has also represented Norway Under-16s, making two appearances and scoring once despite being younger than many of his teammates.
Those numbers become more impressive when his age and stage of development are taken into account.
Real Madrid have built a reputation for identifying young talent well before players reach their peak, and Rajkovic has now emerged as another name on their scouting radar.
But given the number of clubs in the race, signing the teenage wonderkid will not be easy.
