Real Madrid Transfer News Roundup: Liverpool failed with £86.5 million bid for Federico Valverde this summer; Carlo Ancelotti refuses to talk about Kylian Mbappe, and more - September 13, 2022
Real Madrid are preparing to host RB Leipzig at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday in their second UEFA Champions League game of the season. Los Blancos began their European campaign with a 3-0 win at Celtic last week.
Meanwhile, Liverpool failed with an £86.5 million bid for Federico Valverde this summer. Elsewhere, manager Carlo Ancelotti has refused to be drawn into any talks regarding Kylian Mbappe.
#UCL MODE 
💫 #UCL MODE 🔛 https://t.co/H6IguxR1Vw
On that note, here's a look at the key Real Madrid transfer stories as on September 13, 2022:
Liverpool failed with £86.5 million bid for Federico Valverde this summer
Liverpool failed to lure Federico Valverde away from Real Madrid this summer, according to AS via Sports Mole.
Reds manager Jurgen Klopp was eager to bring in a new midfielder this summer - considering his midfield crisis - and had his eyes on the Uruguayan. Valverde has been an integral part of Los Blancos’ recent success and is highly regarded at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Klopp was hoping to snap up Valverde before the end of the summer. The Reds tabled a £86.5 million offer to convince the La Liga giants to part ways with their prized asset.
However, that was blatantly rejected by Madrid, who said that Valverde asw not for sale. The Reds eventually signed Arthur Melo on loan from Juventus.
Carlo Ancelotti refuses to talk of Real Madrid interest in Kylian Mbappe
Carlo Ancelotti is not ready to indulge in talks regarding Kylian Mbappe’s future. The French forward was heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid this summer but opted to stay with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). However, speculation regarding his future refuses to go away.
Ancelotti was recently asked if Los Blancos are planning to return for Mbappe in the future. The Italian opted not to speak about Mbappe, preferring instead to focus on the exciting youngsters at his disposal.
"I give up with this question, I really mean it. We're excited about our forward line, our young players. It's true that Karim excites us a lot, and that when a young player comes in, he excites us much more than the other player you usually talk about. We are very excited about what Vinicius and Rodrygo are doing. We are not thinking about other players,” said Ancelotti.
#RealMadrid
Ancelotti on Kylian Mbappé: “Kylian contract? Again with this? [laughs] We are delighted with our players… we’re very happy with Vinicius and Rodrygo”. ⚪️ #RealMadrid
“We are not thinking about anyone else. Asensio has chances to play tomorrow, he’s training very well”. https://t.co/5BQ6MY3z7p
Ancelotti also shed light on Marco Asensio’s situation, hinting that the player could have a role to play in midweek.
“You can't consider him a very young player or a veteran. At the moment, he has to hang in there, he's doing well. The reaction to the anger has been good, as he trained very well yesterday and did very well today, and this is what has to happen when a player gets angry. There are two reactions: train better or give up. There is a chance he will play tomorrow,” said Ancelotti.
Asensio reacted furiously from the bench at being overlooked against Mallorca during the weekend.
Antonio Rudiger opens up on Vinicius Junior
Antonio Rudiger believes opponents want to hurt Vinicius Junior due to his dribbling skills. The Brazilian stirred up controversy with his on-field antics against Mallorca, drawing the opposition’s ire.
Speaking to the press, as relayed by Marca, Rudiger said that Vinicius only wants to help Real Madrid win.
“That's what Vinicius does - dribbling - and it's completely understandable that some opponents want to hurt him when they have the chance. I've tried it myself on occasion; you have to try to stop the opposition. It's one of Vinicius' greatest qualities, and they have to try to stop him but always respecting the opponent. We all have to do our job, and he tries to do his so that the team can win,” said Rudiger.
Rudiger added that the Brazilian is a calm presence in the dressing room/
“I don't have to talk too much about his qualities. He's a great player, and everyone knows it. He continues to do what he did last year. In the dressing room, he is calm; he likes to have fun playing, and on the pitch, he does everything he can. As a player, knowing that I have his help, I feel much calmer. Besides, he's a calm person, and I like to be with him,” said Rudiger.
Vinicius has appeared seven times across competitions for Real Madrid this season, scoring five goals.