Real Madrid leaders are preparing for the departures of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric. Three players are followed by the Madrid club.
If nothing changes in the coming months, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos will both leave the Spanish capital next summer. Both players are indeed coming to the end of their contract and there is no agreement yet on a possible contract extension. What we do know is that the two players will have a choice given the level they are still displaying this season.
As for Modric, another one-year extension is quite likely. As for the German, there is more doubt because he could decide to retire. He still leaves a little time for reflection and will communicate his decision to the club before March, in theory.
3 players targeted by Madrid
But in the end, it doesn’t matter, Real Madrid have decided to strengthen themselves further in the midfield next summer to ensure the transition of the historic trio Casemiro, Kroos and Modric. The first was replaced by a quickly convincing Tchouaméni while Eduardo Camavinga continues his apprenticeship. Fede Valverde, meanwhile, is already a fixture in Ancelotti’s XI and no one doubts he’ll be a starting midfielder after the veterans leave.
We need Bellingham to complete the painting pic.twitter.com/vGXO31zIt9
— 20 (@RMCF_k) December 22, 2022
However, the club know that a piece of the puzzle is still missing and in this case a creative profile à la Luka Modric. The Madrid leaders have already targeted the ideal recruit and it is Jude Bellingham who has already been talked about for a while in the media. The Briton was announced as the club’s priority to strengthen in the summer of 2023 and he is still so, especially since he has achieved a great World Cup. Nevertheless, Real knows that the competition will be tough on this issue and there is no question of getting into an excessive one-upmanship.
As a result, the management of the white house is already working on other options in case the Dortmund player comes to choose a destination other than Madrid, even if the latest winds tell us that Bellingham has a preference for the last winner of the Champions League. However, Liverpool remains in the race and nothing is decided yet, on one side or the other.
In the meantime, Real Madrid is also working on the Enzo Fernandez case, who also distinguished himself during this World Cup in Qatar. The Argentinian is option B in the event of failure on the Bellingham file but this too could fail for financial reasons. Benfica would not intend to let go of their world champion for less than 120 million euros.
According to the daily AS, today there is an option “C” and it is Manuel Locatelli, the Juventus player. The 24-year-old was revealed during the Euros and his versatile profile is an advantage even if it must be admitted that the Italian is a “low cost” option for Real Madrid. It would in any case be a failure for the Madrid entity to have to settle for the third name present on the wish list …