Jose Mourinho says he prefers 22-year-old star over Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, wants him to join Real Madrid in the future
Former Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has stated that he prefers Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams over Barcelona's Lamine Yamal. Mourinho also wants Williams to join Los Blancos in the future.
Jose Mourinho was talking about Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams' performances for Spain in the 2024 Euros. La Roja won the tournament with both forwards playing a key role in their triumph.
Yamal contributed one goal and four assists in seven games for Spain and was named the best young player in the competition. Meanwhile, Nico Williams recorded two goals and one assist in six games in the Euros. He notably scored Spain's first goal in the Euro 2024 final against England, eventually leading to a 2-1 victory.
Williams and Yamal formed a lethal combination in attack, giving a major advantage to Luis de la Fuente's side.
In an interview with COPE, Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho claimed he prefers Nico Williams over Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal, explaining (via Fabrizio Romano):
“In the Euros, people were all saying Yamal, Yamal, Yamal. He's a wonderful boy, but I, personally, prefer more of Nico Williams. I hope he ends up at Real Madrid.”
It is worth noting that Nico Williams was heavily linked to Barcelona in the 2024 summer transfer window, but a transfer failed to materialize. The Spaniard usually plays on the left wing, making it difficult for him to end up with Los Blancos in the near future.
Real Madrid have Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr for the left wing spot in their squad, which would make it unlikely for them to make a move for Williams. Barca, meanwhile, could benefit from Williams' signing to strengthen their left wing, especially with only Raphinha covering the position this season.
Barcelona and Real Madrid to compete for the signing of Trent Alexander-Arnold: Reports
According to Caught Offside, Barcelona have entered the race to sign Real Madrid's top defensive target Trent Alexander-Arnold next summer. The Englishman's contract with Liverpool will expire in June 2025.
Los Blancos have been heavily linked with Alexander-Arnold this season amid their defensive woes. The Spanish giants are reportedly first in line to sign the Englishman, despite interests from other Premier League stalwarts, including Manchester City.
However, the aforementioned report suggests that Barcelona president Joan Laporta is keen on signing Alexander-Arnold. Moreover, a signing of his stature could benefit the club from a sporting perspective.
While Jules Kounde has performed well for the last two seasons at right-back, his form has deteriorated for the past few weeks. However, Alexander-Arnold's signing will not be easy as Real Madrid are not expected to give up on the race anytime soon.