Kylian Mbappe joining Real Madrid in the summer is practically a certainty, at least in the minds of many fans in the Spanish capital. Yet the supremely talented French striker continues dodge the questions about his future at Paris Saint-Germaine, insisting that he has yet to make any decision regarding his future.
“I haven’t made my choice on the future.” Said the 23-year-old, after scoring a brace of goals in the 5-1 thumping of Lorient in Ligue 1. “I’m thinking, there are new elements and a lot of parameters. If I had made my decision, I would have announced it,” said Mbappe, in comments recorded by Amazon Prime, causing a stir on social media last weekend.
Despite the mixed signals, journalists in Spain appear to remain convinced about one thing – Mbappe will be donning the famous white shirt of Real Madrid. They believe that no amount of coaxing from PSG owner Nasser Al-Khelafi will change the Frenchman’s mind. In the Spanish capital, they remain convinced that Mbappe has already made his choice.
But aside from the man who continues to provide headlines for the sports newspapers, which other players are Real Madrid potentially focusing on for the summer? Well, there’s currently lots of speculation surrounding the future of Marcelo, who is out of contract in the summer according to Transfermarkt: https://www.transfermarkt.com/marcelo/profil/spieler/44501
Tottenham left back Sergio Reguilón is attracting lot of interest. Barcelona are keeping tabs on his situation, true – but there are also other top European clubs. Open race. 🇪🇸 #THFC
📁 Real Madrid have a buy back clause available this summer for Reguilón, around €40m. pic.twitter.com/C6BHO7SVT6
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 18, 2022
Some reports have suggested that 33-year-old Marcelo might be moving on, given that Real Madrid appear to be reluctant regarding a one-year extension deal, unwilling to match the current salary and terms. This has inevitably led to the press compiling a casting call of possible replacements, ideally someone who can be rotated in the squad with Ferland Mendy.
24-year-old Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney was touted as a candidate, earlier in the year, although those rumours appear to have lost some steam. Entirely more realistic would be the return of Sergio Reguilon, given that when Real Madrid sold him to Tottenham Hotspur in 2020, they inserted a buy-back clause valued at €40 million. As pointed out recently by Football Espana, that clause ends in the summer of 2022:
https://www.football-espana.net/2022/02/13/real-madrid-consider-bringing-back-sergio-reguilon-to-replace-marcelo
Elsewhere, no matter how much we love and admire their midfield talents, neither 32-year-old Toni Kroos nor 36-year-old Luka Modric will be around much longer. This inevitably means that Real Madrid are actively in the hunt for quality options in the middle of the park. Due to the current uncertainty at Chelsea, one interesting name linked is that of N’Golo Kante, although now aged 31, younger options would seem to be more realistic.
This leads us to Napoli midfielder Fabian Ruiz, the man who Carlo Ancelotti signed from Real Betis when he was in charge at the Italian club. Capped 15 times for Spain since 2019, Ruiz has established himself in Italy over the last four seasons. Now the 25-year-old could be ready to make the next big leap in his career, especially given that while Napoli aren’t keen to part ways with the player, he has just one year left on his current contract.
Fabian Ruiz e il #Napoli a un bivio: il #RealMadrid prepara un nuovo assalto https://t.co/AiBoUelNU5 pic.twitter.com/knbSZNK6Ie
— calciomercato.com (@cmdotcom) March 30, 2022
As the prospects of a move for Ruiz appear to gain momentum, some outlets in Italy and Spain have gone so far as to suggest how the deal could be clinched, indicating that Real Madrid might consider offering cash plus Dani Ceballos. This would be quite the turnaround for these two players, given both are the same age and both are products of Real Betis. Yet while the career of Ceballos appears to have stalled, by contrast Ruiz is a player on the rise.
For the moment, while fans are undoubtedly eager to learn more about potential transfer signings, the current group of players remains entirely focused on their objectives this season. Having all but clinched the title in LaLiga, the top priority will undoubtedly be to win the UEFA Champions League.
Now the pathway to the final is known, Real Madrid must first overcome Chelsea over two legs. Despite their history and pedigree in Europe, surprisingly, Los Blancos aren’t even tipped amongst the top five favourites to win the competition. For a complete guide to online sports betting, including where to find the best odds and promotions available, Asiabet has reviews for all the top sites: https://www.asiabet.org/sports-betting/
Meanwhile, as we head into the countdown to an exciting conclusion to the 2021-22 campaign, the rumours will continue to come thick and fast regarding who could be joining Mbappe at Real Madrid in the summer. This could be one of the most pivotal transfer windows in recent memory, as Florentino Perez aims to ensure Real Madrid remain a force to be reckoned with on all fronts.
