Only 7 Real Madrid stars considered untouchable as Carlo Ancelotti plots massive summer rebuild: Reports
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has asked club president Florentino Perez to orchestrate a rebuild of the squad amidst the La Liga giants' recent troubles. He has identified seven players as key to the revival of the team.
According to Catalan outlet El Nacional, Ancelotti has taken his share of the responsibility for their recent struggles. However, he also believes that Perez has not done enough to improve the squad following their UEFA Champions League victory last season.
Los Blancos are currently three points off league leaders Barcelona in the La Liga table. They also suffered a harsh 3-1 loss at the hands of their rivals in the final of the Spanish Super Cup.
Fulltime: Real Madrid 1-3 Barcelona. Barça are the champions of the Spanish Super Cup. First title in the Xavi era. https://t.co/X6AoDxsJXP
One of the seven key players reportedly identified by Ancelotti for Real Madrid is goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. While he has not matched his form since last season, when he won the Yashin trophy, he is still a solid presence between the sticks.
Defender Eder Militao is another player on the list. He is highly valued by Ancelotti for his speed, strength, and regular goal contributions, as seen in their 3-2 win against Villarreal in the Copa del Rey Round of 16.
Midfielders Toni Kroos and Aurelien Tchouameni are considered important for the future. Tchouameni has been solid for Los Blancos this season as Casemiro's replacement after joining the club from AS Monaco last summer.
Kroos has had a welcome one-month break after the 2022 FIFA World Cup and could receive an extension as he is out of a contract in the summer.
Attackers Karim Benzema and Vinicius Jr. are also vital for Real Madrid. Like Courtois, they haven't matched their last season's output either. However, the Frenchman's decisive contributions and the Brazilian's constant threat to the goal are considered untouchable.
Finally, Federico Valverde is also a part of the long-term future. The Uruguayan midfielder is one of Ancelotti's hardest-working men and can be deployed in multiple positions.
Real Madrid block Arsenal's approach for midfielder
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti turned down Arsenal's approach for Eduardo Camavinga in the ongoing transfer window. According to the Evening Standard, the Gunners considered the possibility of signing the midfielder on loan for the rest of the season.
#RealMadrid
EXCL — Eduardo Camavinga’s agent Joshua Barnett tells me on Arsenal and Chelsea loan links: “There’s no truth. Of course every club in the world would want him, but he’s very happy in Real Madrid and Real Madrid are very happy with Camavinga”. 🚨⚪️ #RealMadrid
Camavinga stays. https://t.co/ye9phrJ445
Since joining Real Madrid from Rennes in the summer of 2021 for around €31 million, the Frenchman has struggled to get game time. With options like Luka Modric, Kroos, Tchouameni, and Valverde all ahead of the Frenchman, he has started only five games in La Liga.
However, a transfer is off the cards. Ancelotti said:
"The squad is untouchable. It’s not only [Modric and Kroos], it’s the others who come onto the pitch and give everything, like [Dani] Ceballos and [Marco] Asensio did [at Villarreal]."
He added:
"Modric and Kroos are untouchable, but that doesn’t mean they have to play every game. He [Camavinga] is untouchable, like Modric or Kroos."
Real Madrid will next be in action against Athletic Club away in La Liga on Sunday, January 22.