Real Madrid News
‘With the way it’s going now…’ – Dutch icon backs Real Madrid forward to win Ballon d’Or next year
Former Real Madrid midfielder Wesley Sneijder recently sat down with MARCA for an interview, where he talked about the state of Real Madrid’s current squad.
While the team is indeed coming on the back of poor form, Sneijder has backed some of the top players in the squad, including Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr.
The Dutchman even went on to back Mbappe to win the Ballon d’Or title next year, if he can continue his current vein of form.
Sneijder on Mbappe and Ballon d’Or
Mbappe has been the undisputed star of the team for Real Madrid this season, stepping up as a real leader in the final third and improving on an already impressive debut campaign.
“With the way it’s going now, I’m pretty sure Mbappe will win it next season, 100%,” he told MARCA when asked about the French forward’s form.
Mbappe has indeed been quite the menace this season, racking up 23 goals and three assists in just 19 matches in all competitions.
Sneijder also lauded Mbappe’s form as a striker, even adding that Real Madrid do not require a player like Erling Haaland anymore despite reports linking him with a move to the Bernabeu.
“Besides, he’s now become a true striker; he performs better than he did on the wing. Real Madrid doesn’t need a player like Haaland,” he said.
Sneijder added that Vinicius Junior, too, has the ability to win the Ballon d’Or. He also stated that he doens’t understand why the Brazilian international was snubbed.
“Vinicius will perhaps win it the following year. They both have the quality for it. Maybe Vini could have already won it two years ago. He deserved it then, but it’s no shame.
“For me, and I don’t know what they think, I felt happier lifting the Champions League trophy than winning a Ballon d’Or and not winning the Champions League that season,” he said.
Sneijder on Xabi and Vinicius’ relationship
There has been a lot of chatter surrounding Xabi Alonso and his fractured relationship with Vinicius, who apparently is hesitant to renew with the club if Alonso remains a coach.
Sneijder, though, backed Xabi Alonso to weather the storm and fix the issue between the two.
“If you’re a good coach, you’ll know how to handle this. Of course, it’s not pleasant, because everyone saw this reaction, but what matters is how you deal with it and how you manage it afterward,” he said.
He even advised Xabi to ask him to calm down and be more focused on the team while instilling confidence in the attacker at the same time.
“Tell him: ‘Vini, listen. This isn’t right, you know that. Don’t ever do it again. For now, it’s okay, but not in the next game you play. I have all my confidence in you, but there are times when I have to take you off.’
“‘You have to accept it like a man. You can be happy about it, you can be unhappy about it, but that’s not the way to react. ‘I’m the coach, and I want what’s best for you guys.’ And that’s it,” he concluded.
Real Madrid youngster Endrick continues to attract interest from several clubs ahead of another potential loan move in the upcoming January transfer window.
The latest side considering a move for the Brazilian forward is Aston Villa.
Indeed, according to reports relayed by Bernabeu Digital, the Premier League club are interested in signing the Real Madrid striker on loan in January.
No minutes for Endrick
Endrick has had very limited opportunities under Jose Mourinho this season. Across Real Madrid’s nine matches in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League, the Brazilian has played just four minutes, coming on in the 86th minute against Elche.
Such limited playing time has left the young forward struggling to gain the minutes and experience needed to develop his talent at Real Madrid.
As such, another loan move, like last January when he left for Olympique Lyon, could offer him a chance to play more regularly and continue his progression.
Aston Villa, managed by Unai Emery, have now emerged as an interested party to acquire the Brazilian international’s services on loan for the second half of the season.
AC Milan also interested in Endrick
Howver, Aston Villa are not the only club monitoring Endrick’s situation. AC Milan have also renewed their interest in the Brazilian forward.
The Rossoneri already held an interest in the 20-year-old forward during the summer transfer window and are knocking on the doors once again now.
In fact, some reports in Italy even go on to suggest that the youngster is ready to pounce on the opportunity to sign for the Serie A giants.
For now, however, there have been no concrete developments or formal approaches from any interested club.
Real Madrid are understood to be open to allowing Endrick to leave on loan, but they are not considering a permanent sale as they still have a lot of faith in the promising attacker whom they signed from Palmeiras.
With Aston Villa and AC Milan both interested, the coming months could prove important in determining where the young Brazilian will continue his development.
