Florentino Perez makes difficult decision as he concludes Real Madrid star is no longer good enough to play for the club - Reports
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has reportedly decided that Nacho Fernandez is no longer good enough to play for Los Blancos. The 33-year-old has been at the Santiago Bernabeu his entire career, making 295 appearances and scoring 15 goals.
The veteran Spanish defender has fallen down the pecking order over the years and has featured 20 times this season but only 12 times in Carlo Ancelotti's starting lineup. His latest outing came in Madrid's shock 1-0 defeat to Mallorca on Sunday (February 5). Fernandez scored an own goal in the loss, which sees his side trail league leaders Barcelona by eight points after 20 games.
According to El Nacional, the feeling around the Bernabeu is that Fernandez's level of performance has dropped. Moreover, his display against Mallorca raised doubts, as he could not deal with the threat posed by Vedat Muriqi. His contract expires at the end of the season, and he's said to understand that he will not continue with the Galacticos.
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Perez has found the decision difficult due to Fernandez's longstanding loyalty to Real Madrid. However, the Los Blancos president believes a departure would be best for all parties. The defender is asking for a two-year contract renewal, but Madrid are only offering him one. Ancelotti's side are considering calling up a youth player from RM Castilla.
Fernandez has offers from Getafe, Sevilla and Real Betis. However, he will concentrate on helping a beleaguered Los Blancos side bounce back from their recent woes. An injury curse has plagued the reigning La Liga champions, with Ferland Mendy, Dani Carvajal and David Alaba all sidelined.
Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois is doubtful for UEFA Champions League clash with Liverpool
Courtois picked up a knock in the warm-up before Real Madrid's 1-0 defeat to Mallorca on Sunday. Ukrainian goalkeeper Andriy Lunin filled in for the Belgian shot-stopper.
Marca reports that Courtois will undergo scans following the injury. He's in a race to be fit for Madrid's UEFA Champions League last 16 first leg clash with Liverpool on Tuesday (February 21). The former Chelsea goalkeeper also looks set to miss Los Blancos' FIFA Club World Cup campaign.
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Courtois has featured 24 times this season, keeping seven clean sheets. He returned from a Sciatic problem just before the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, which saw him miss seven games. It's a massive blow for Ancelotti, whose side have endured injury woes this campaign.