Real Madrid Prepares for Summer 2025
Real Madrid is currently in quiet negotiations to extend Ferland Mendy’s contract. They are also eyeing free transfers for players whose contracts expire in the summer of 2025, particularly Alphonso Davies from Bayern Munich and Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool.
Carlo Ancelotti’s Defensive Concerns
Coach Carlo Ancelotti is dealing with numerous first-team absences for the match against AC Milan. While Kylian Mbappe has debuted for Real Madrid fans, he isn’t ready to play yet. Ancelotti will have to rely on young defenders Jacobo Ramon, Raul Asencio, and Joan Martinez due to the absences of David Alaba and Jesus Vallejo.
Antonio Rudiger, recently back in the squad, won’t play against AC Milan on August 1 but will be available for El Clasico on August 5. Eder Militao will resume training in the US but won’t play until the final match against Chelsea.
Endrick Felipe’s Waiting Game
Brazilian player Endrick Felipe, eager to join the pre-season tour, will see limited playing time as Ancelotti wants to evaluate him further in training. Real Madrid aims to avoid a situation like Vitor Roque at Barcelona, whose debut was rocky, leading to a likely departure.
Real Madrid has already bid farewell to Toni Kroos, Nacho Fernandez, and Joselu Mato, and they are keen to retain their remaining players. Dani Ceballos, who played limited minutes last season, is now likely to stay and seize more opportunities, especially with Kroos gone and no new midfielders arriving.
Barcelona’s Squad Overhaul
Barcelona is looking to raise funds to sign Nico Williams or Dani Olmo and has listed several players for sale. Besides Vitor Roque, The Athletic reports that Barcelona wants to sell seven other players: Frenkie de Jong, Ronald Araujo, Raphinha, Clement Lenglet, Mikayil Faye, Ansu Fati, and Ferran Torres.