Real Madrid Transfer News Roundup: Los Blancos want Liverpool ace in January, Aston Villa eyeing Raul Asencio, and more - December 18, 2024
Real Madrid travel to the Lusail Stadium on Wednesday, December 18 to face Pachuca in the Intercontinental Cup. Carlo Ancelotti's team arrive at the game on the back of a 3-3 draw against Rayo Vallecano in LaLiga over the weekend.
Meanwhile, Los Blancos have stepped up their efforts to take a Liverpool full-back to the Santiago Bernabeu in January. Elsewhere, Aston Villa are interested in Raul Asencio.
On that note, let's look at the major Real Madrid transfer stories from December 18, 2024.
Real Madrid want Trent Alexander-Arnold in January
Real Madrid are ready to take Trent Alexander-Arnold to the Santiago Bernabeu in January, according to Todo Fichajes. The English full-back has apparently been identified as the long-term replacement for Dani Carvajal at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Alexander-Arnold is in the final year of his contract with Liverpool and hasn't signed a new deal yet. It was previously believed that Los Blancos will move for the player at the end of this season when he becomes a free agent.
However, it now appears that the LaLiga giants are ready to prise him away for a small fee in January instead. Liverpool have struggled to tie him down to an extension and could be open to his departure in the winter.
Aston Villa eyeing Raul Asencio
Aston Villa have set their sights on Raul Asencio, according to Fichajes. The Spanish defender has been thrust into action this season following the injury to Eder Militao and has responded quite well.
The 21-year-old has already appeared seven times across competitions for Real Madrid, four of which have been starts. The Villans are pleased with his efforts and are planning to prise him away.
Los Blancos are willing to let the youngster leave, but want to include a buy-back clause in his deal. They also want to retain 40% of any future sale. The report adds that Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest also have their eyes on Asencio.
Former manager defends Carlo Ancelotti
Former Real Madrid manager Juande Ramos has lent his support to Carlo Ancelotti following a poor run of results. The Italian manager has seen his team struggle this season in LaLiga as well as the Champions League.
Los Blancos are now third in the league table after 17 games and have spurned multiple chances of going to the top. Their form in the Champions League has been worse, with the team 20th in the table after six games, with three wins and three defeats. The situation has raised questions about Ancelotti's future.
However, speaking recently, as cited by Madrid Universal, Ramos insisted that the Italian is the best option to lead the Spanish champions.
“I think Carlo knows as much about football or more than he did years ago when he was winning the European Cups. What happens is that there are moments; football has these situations, a series of events such as injuries and bad results that have led to some very good results. But I think he is the coach who can give Real Madrid the most guarantees,” said Ramos.
Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso has frequently been named as a possible replacement for Ancelotti at Real Madrid.