Real Madrid News
Xabi Alonso pushing for Real Madrid to sign the ‘new Zubimendi’ – report
Real Madrid’s board dug deep into their pockets in the summer to help fulfil Xabi Alonso’s pre-project wishes as the new manager kicked start a new era at the club.
Franco Mastantuono, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen and Alvaro Carreras all arrived as part of the same effort.
Yet, there was one position that Alonso repeatedly insisted must be reinforced but ended up not materialising – the defensive midfield.
Martin Zubimendi was one of the many targets that the manager admired and pushed for Real Madrid to sign, but in the end, no new recruitment was made in the department.
A young alternative
As reported by Defensa Central in a recent update, Alonso admires Elche’s Rodrigo Mendoza as a quality player in the same niche and has been advocating his name to Florentino Perez for a while now.
“He is the new Zubimendi,” Alonso has allegedly told the club president, making it clear that he dreams of the signing for next summer.
Mendoza has already been on Juni Calafat’s agenda for a significant while now. Still just 20 years of age, he has established himself as a key pillar not only for Elche but for the Spain U-20 setup as well.
Alonso has asked the board to wrap up Mendoza’s signing at the earliest, something that the administrators must quickly decide on given the rapidly increasing interest in the player from across Europe.
Manchester City and Arsenal are already seriously studying the option of signing the La Liga star, while Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan have also shown interest. His contract until 2028 and recent renewal, however, make it more complicated.
As it stands, the youngster’s market value stands at €9 million and has multiplied ninefold from the beginning of the season. His release clause, however, stands at €20 million, a sum that is certainly not out of Real Madrid’s range.
The manager and board’s eyes, needless to say, will be fixated on him when Real Madrid take on Elche this weekend and it wil prove to be an audition of sorts for the midfield star.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho reacts to Vinicius suspension: “Why announce it two hours before an important match?”
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has questioned the RFEF Disciplinary Committee’s decision to announce Vinicius Jr.’s four-match suspension just hours before their UEFA Champions League meeting with AS Roma on Wednesday.
The Brazilian has been hit with a four-match ban for his red card against Villarreal, meaning he will miss the matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander, and Valencia.
And, speaking to Movistar+ (h/t MARCA) before the match, the Real Madrid manager was asked whether the punishment could affect the Brazilian psychologically.
Mourinho instead turned his attention to the football authorities and the timing of their announcement.
“I think that is a question for the Committee. Why have they announced the suspension at this particular moment? If you are asking me this question, it is presumably because you think it could affect him,” the Portuguese coach replied.
“You should ask the Committee why they did not announce it this morning, or tomorrow morning. Why do they do it two hours before a match that is important for Real Madrid, which is a Spanish club?” he added, questioning the timing of the decision.
Mourinho explains his tactical approach against Roma
The Real Madrid manager also outlined his plan for facing a Roma side known for their aggressive pressing.
“My intention is to stop them from pressing us so high up the pitch, given the players we have available and as a precaution,” he said.
Continuing, the Portuguese manager added: “They press man-to-man higher up the pitch better than anyone else, and we will see whether we can take advantage of that. If not, they will have to drop their press five or ten metres.”
Why Rudiger over Huijsen
Mourinho also justified his decision to start Antonio Rudiger at centre-back alongside Ibrahima Konate rather than Dean Huijsen.
“They played very well together in the last match, Rudiger and Konate, showing great leadership and the ability to withstand a difficult situation when we had ten men for 30 minutes,” he said.
“I am not saying Dean is not capable of playing a match like this, but this is a wonderful atmosphere for Roma and a difficult one for us. I think a player with Antonio’s experience can be important,” Mourinho added.
Finally, Mourinho was asked about his emotions ahead of returning to face Roma, the club he managed between 2021 and 2024.
The Portuguese coach offered a brief response, saying that he had his feelings about the occasion “blocked”.
