Carlo Ancelotti loses trust in 27-year-old Real Madrid star; believes he no longer meets standards: Reports
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti reportedly has no faith in defender Jesus Vallejo. The Italian tactician thinks the Spaniard no longer meets the standards required to play for Los Blancos, as per Sergio Lopez of AS.
Vallejo joined the La Liga giants from Real Zaragoza in July 2015. Since then, he has been sent on six loan deals by the club. The Spanish champions wanted to ship him out on loan this summer too but Vallejo was keen to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu and prove his worth.
The Spaniard has made 32 appearances across competitions for Los Blancos. However, he has made only one appearance for Carlo Ancelotti's side this season, coming on for the last 10 minutes during Real Madrid's 3-2 win over Alaves in September.
As per the aforementioned report, despite Jesus Vallejo performing well in the training, he's constantly failing to get Ancelotti's attention. Real Madrid are suffering from an injury crisis in the centre-back position. However, instead of giving Vallejo a chance, Ancelotti decided to play Dani Carvajal and Aurelien Tchouameni out of position.
As per multiple reports, Real Madrid are keen to sign a new central defender in the January transfer window. Meanwhile, Jesus Vallejo's current contract with the Santiago Bernabeu outfit will expire in the summer of 2025.
Real Madrid shortlists €100 million replacement for Luka Modric: Reports
Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid are reportedly interested in signing Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz as a successor to Croatian veteran Luka Modric, as per Spanish outlet Fichajes.
Toni Kroos announced his retirement from professional football at the end of Euro 2024. Meanwhile, Modric will turn 40 next year and is nearing retirement. The 2018 Ballon d'Or winner has made 546 appearances across competitions for Los Blancos, bagging 39 goals and 88 assists. The Croatian ace has helped the club win four LaLiga titles and six Champions League trophies among other honors.
Replacing the 39-year-old would be tough for any footballer. Nevertheless, Real Madrid think Wirtz can emerge as a top prospect at the Santiago Bernabeu. But signing the 21-year-old would be difficult for Madrid, as Leverkusen could demand over €100 million for the midfielder.
Last season, Wirtz was a crucial part of Xabi Alonso's Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal-winning Bayer Leverkusen. He registered 18 goals and 20 assists in 49 games in all competitions.