Real Madrid has a clear objective to strengthen its midfield this summer. A midfield that has lost Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in the space of a year. Since the departure of the German, who dazzled once again on his return to the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday, the Whites have lost their guiding light in midfield. The club has acknowledged the lack of a playmaker with good ball control and vision, and has therefore stepped up its efforts in the transfer market.
Mastantuono may not be the only one
In this regard, the arrival of Franco Mastantuono from River Plate could be made official next week. The youngster, only 17 years old, is seen by Real Madrid as a player with incredible potential who could make history, and they have committed to him in an express negotiation that will cost around €50 million between the release clause and tax payments.
His arrival may not be the only one for the midfield, where some departures cannot be ruled out. For months, different names have been circulating, with Angelo Stiller at the top of the list in recent weeks. The Stuttgart player is highly regarded for his defensive contributions and great vision. In addition, his price tag of between €30 million and €40 million makes him very affordable. This is quite the opposite of the player who has been the clear favorite for months, Spain’s Martín Zubimendi.
Real Madrid’s formula for Zubimendi
Martín Zubimendi is very popular at Real Madrid, and since Xabi Alonso’s arrival, he has made it clear that the player is his favorite. He knows him from his time at Real Sociedad and they share the same agent. The player’s departure for the Premier League was taken for granted, but the truth is that his priority has always been to stay in Spain. The Whites have always considered his €60 million release clause to be very high, but they have found a formula to try to lower the price in a last-ditch attempt to get the Basque player to wear white.
Thus, according to Diario As, Florentino’s objective is to lower the €60 million release clause by including in the deal a free transfer for Real Sociedad of one of Álvaro Arbeloa’s highly rated Castilla players or even one of the first-team players who are not getting much playing time or for whom there would be no room with the arrival of Zubimendi.
Zubimendi talks about his future
During an interview on Radio Nacional, Zubimendi said that “right now it’s not my priority to think about it, I’m here with the national team, which is demanding enough, and if I have something to say, I’ll say it.” A few days ago, the player denied reports linking him with Arsenal without saying a word. The Txuriurden posted some photos on the beach to, as he himself confirmed, deny that he was undergoing a medical examination in London. “It’s an example of what surrounds the world of football. Sometimes I wake up and read things I didn’t know I had done, and that was an example. It’s true that I don’t take it very seriously, but with those photos I wanted to emphasize that it wasn’t the reality of what was happening,” said the midfielder.
The midfielder also spoke about Real Madrid and how Xabi Alonso’s arrival at the club will influence his final decision on his next destination. “I’ve always said that he was my idol and that I was lucky to have been able to train with him in the reserve team during a very important year,” but he did not comment on the Madrid club’s possible interest: “I don’t like to talk about hypothetical situations, I like to talk about the present. I think it would be disrespectful to answer that while I’m with the national team and in the middle of such an important competition.”