Real Madrid have plenty of options at centre-back right now. They have three of the best in the world there in the form of Eder Militao, David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger. Further, the club have Nacho Fernandez and Jesus Vallejo as back-up options. Yet, we have seen them struggle at the back at times this season.
Also, the club appear to have set their eyes on signing the best young talent from across the world and one player who is rumoured to have caught their eye is Josko Gvardiol, who enjoyed a stunning World Cup campaign with Croatia as they finished third in the competition.
Of course, Real Madrid are not the only club to be linked with Gvardiol. Another team who seem to have their eyes on him are Chelsea. In fact, a move to Stamford Bridge had appeared very close in the summer but did not ultimately materialise.
As reported by GOAL, Gvardiol told Danas about the situation:
“They [Chelsea] did not give up.
“But it was agreed that we would go for the winter. Winter has come, so we need to see what and how to proceed, but it’s okay, there’s still plenty of time, we’ll see.”
Real Madrid target makes Chelsea transfer admission
Interestingly, Chelsea have already signed Benoit Badiashile from AS Monaco in the ongoing January transfer window. The Frenchman has a pretty similar profile to Gvardiol, and as a result, the Blues making a move for the Croatian defender this month seems very improbable at this point of time.
Of course, we already know that Real Madrid do not have plans to add to their squad in January, despite many people questioning their depth, or lack of it, in certain areas.
Someone like Gvardiol would be a very good signing for most teams on the planet right now. It remains to be seen if Real Madrid end up making a move for him in the summer or not, even though their transfer priority is believed to be Jude Bellingham of Borussia Dortmund, perhaps the most in demand player in the world.
LEIPZIG, GERMANY – OCTOBER 25: Thibaut Courtois of Madrid shouts during the UEFA Champions League group F match between RB Leipzig and Real Madrid at Red Bull Arena on October 25, 2022 in Leipzig, Germany. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Real Madrid NewsThibaut Courtois unhappy with decision in Real Madrid defeat
Real Madrid suffered their second defeat of the La Liga season, as they lost 2-1 away against Villarreal to hand Barcelona an advantage in the title race. The Catalan giants are on the same number of points as Los Blancos but were already ahead on goal difference, and now have a game in hand as well.
That game is of course away against Atletico Madrid and will not be an easy task, but at least it is an opportunity for Xavi’s side to take back the lead in the title race, having lost it after a 1-1 draw against Espanyol.
There was controversy in the game between Real Madrid and Villarreal, with two penalties awarded on the day. Ultimately, a spot kick from Gerard Moreno proved to be the difference.
Real Madrid goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, did not sound happy with the decision to award the penalty against his side though. As reported by GOAL, the Belgian told Movistar:
“The handballs are open to interpretation and it’s tough.
“David [Alaba] had his hand on the floor, he’s trying to get up. He fell and it’s his supporting hand. I don’t know what the rule is, I’ve never seen an example like that. Let’s see if next summer they come to talk to us and explain it. If you give a debatable penalty to them, where I think [Foyth] didn’t see the ball, you give that one too. It’s a kind of compensation.”
Courtois unhappy with penalty decision in Real Madrid vs Villarreal
It is safe to say that penalty kicks have become an even bigger point of controversy in recent years, as there does not seem to be a lot of consistency in the decision-making from week to week. The issue is not just limited to La Liga but all over Europe.
On the day, Villarreal did seem to be the better team though and one cannot really complain about the result of the game.
What is becoming a worry though is the team’s sluggish form since their return from the World Cup break. Los Blancos might have won against Real Valladolid and Cacereno, but those performances had left a lot to be desired as well. And this time around, it caught up to them, as they dropped three valuable points in a tight title race with Barcelona.
Source: newsnow
