Florentino Perez could offload Real Madrid veteran in January amid MLS interest: Reports
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez could have to bid farewell to veteran centre-back Nacho Fernandez in the January transfer window, with reported interest from Major League Soccer (MLS).
Nacho is a one-club man and has been with Los Blancos for the entirety of his professional career. He has made 285 appearances for them across competitions, winning five UEFA Champions League titles, among other trophies in the process.
However, his prominence in Real Madrid's starting XI has slowly eroded, with Nacho amassing just 141 minutes of La Liga action this campaign. His lack of playing time saw manager Luis Enrique overlook his name when selecting Spain's 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
This has supposedly brought a halt to talks between the Spaniard and Perez regarding a potential renewal. According to Spanish outlet El Desmarque (h/t Diario Gol), the centre-back has received a proposal from an unnamed MLS club ahead of the January window.
This offer could prove to be attractive for Nacho, who could leave Real Madrid in the winter, six months before his contract expires at the Santiago Bernabeu. There was prior interest from Wolverhampton Wanderers, but nothing materialized.
MLS has proven to be a lucrative league for many one-time greats to end their careers in. Over the years, footballing greats like Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, and Wayne Rooney have opted to ply their trade in the United States.
One of Real Madrid's own, Gareth Bale, joined Los Angeles FC (LAFC) this summer as a free agent. Only time will tell if Nacho, 32, decides to follow the Wales international's trail and cross the North Atlantic Ocean to play his club football.
Real Madrid manager reveals surprise nation he is supporting at 2022 FIFA World Cup
📸| Ancelotti & his wife watching Real Madrid's basketball team. 🏀 https://t.co/YuksFvOMfk
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that he will be supporting Canada at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The Italian tactician has deep personal ties with the North American nation after marrying Canadian-born businesswoman Mariann Auger McClay over eight years ago.
He lived in Vancouver for a year after leaving Los Merengues in 2014, and before taking up the managerial role at Bayern Munich in 2015, he told an Italian radio (h/t Marca):
"I will be cheering for Canada at the World Cup, as it has been absent for many years and is my second home. The president of the Canadian Federation is from Abruzzo, so everyone is cheering for Canada."
The current CONCACAF president, Victor Montagliani, is of Italian descent and was raised in Canada. He served as the Canadian Soccer Association's president between 2012 and 2017.