Real Madrid has agreed to make its second pre-Club World Cup signing according to Spanish radio … More
Real Madrid has agreed to make its second pre-Club World Cup signing according to Spanish radio station COPE, which cited anonymous sources.
Los Blancos have already reacted to a trophyless season, in terms of primary domestic and European silverware, plus newfound dominance from bitter rival FC Barcelona, by agreeing for head coach Carlo Ancelotti to leave at the end of the season.
He is likely to be replaced by club legend Xabi Alonso, and though there has been no official announcement from Madrid on the matter yet, the former midfielder has already revealed he will step down from his head coach role at Bayer Leverkusen, who he helped clinched its first Bundesliga title in 2023/2024.
As we often see when things don’t go right for the Bernabeu giants, President Florentino Perez has been getting his cheque book out to try and level up with Barca next term.
Before what is expected to be a busy summer in the transfer market, Madrid has already completed the signing of Bournemouth and Spain central defender Dean Huijsen, who was released from his Premier League contract after the payment of a $67 million (£50 million) release clause at the weekend.
According to COPE, Madrid has reached another agreement with a young star because it will re-sign Nico Paz from Como prior to June 30.
If the deal is completed before said date, Madrid can recapture its ex-Argentina international for just $6.7 million (€6 million) after selling him last summer. But if it waits until July 1 onwards, that amount will then rise to $10.1 million (€9 million).
The plan is to have Paz successfully complete the ‘Carvajal Route’ – which entails leaving Madrid and then returning to form part of the first team as the right back of the same name did from Leverkusen more than a decade ago – prior to the lucrative Club World Cup.
It now remains to be seen if the deal gets over the line, but it shouldn’t be too complicated to complete with the tournament kicking off in over three weeks’ time.
Ancelotti revealed Real Madrid was keeping tabs on Paz
Earlier this season, Ancelotti revealed that Madrid had been keeping tabs on Paz in Italy.
“He’s one of us, we’re following him, he’s doing very well, I have no doubts. At the end of the season we’ll decide what to do. If I have to give advice to a youngster… I think patience is a great quality,” said the Italian.
At Real Madrid, the 20-year-old is expected to battle for minutes with the likes of Fede Valverde, Jude Bellingham, Brahim Diaz, and Arda Guler.
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