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Real Madrid will be eager to beat Villarreal on Saturday (April 8) to stay in touch with runaway leaders Barcelona in the La Liga title race. The Blaugrana are 12 points ahead of Carlo Ancelotti’s second-placed side with 11 games to go.
Meanwhile, Liverpool are set to reignite their interest in Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni at the end of the season. Elsewhere, Los Blancos have been warned against appointing Jose Mourinho as their next manager.
On that note, here's a look at the key Real Madrid transfer stories as on April 8, 2023:
Liverpool reignite interest in Aurelien Tchouameni
Liverpool have reignited their interest in Aurelien Tchouameni, according to El Nacional via Sport Mole. The French midfielder was wanted by the Reds last summer, but he opted to join Real Madrid instead. However, the 23-year-old has failed to build on to his impressive start to life at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Tchouameni has struggled for form since the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and is no longer guaranteed a place in Ancelotti’s starting XI. The La Liga giants are willing to listen to offers for the Frenchman as they prepare to battle for Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham this summer.
Liverpool are ready to offer Tchouameni an escape route from Los Blancos as they look to shore up their midfield. The Premier League giants are willing to offer €80 million for the Frenchman, who's tied with Real Madrid till 2028.
Real Madrid warned against Jose Mourinho appointment
Former Real Madrid forward Antonio Cassano has advised Los Blancos not to opt for Jose Mourinho as Ancelotti’s replacement. Although his contract runs till 2024, Ancelotti could be on his way out of the Bernabeu this summer. The La Liga giants are looking for his replacement, and Mourinho has emerged as an option.
The Portuguese has done a decent job with AS Roma and previously enjoyed a fruitful run with Los Blancos. However, speaking recently, Cassano said came down heavily on Mourinho and said that he won't be the right fit for Real Madrid.
"I don't know how he gets these results because he's just a filmmaker. He was a great coach, but right now he canocoach Real Madrid, just as he can coach San Martinese. He can return to Real Madrid if Ancelotti does not continue, but if the club wants a coach, they will not call Mourinho for their new project,” said Cassano.
He added:
"Mou doesn't give a sh*t about football. He doesn't like to work, nor does he know how to communicate or speak; let's not be fooled by his history".
Mourinho spent three seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu, overseeing 178 games and registered an impressive 71.91% win ratio.
Carlo Ancelotti says he will never manage Barcelona
Carlo Ancelotti has said that it's impossible for him to manage Barcelona. The Italian is one of the most respected managers in the game and has managed several big clubs during his career. Ancelotti is linked with the vacant job at Brazil and could leave Real Madrid at the end of the season.
Speaking to the press, Ancelotti was asked if he would swap jobs with Xavi, but the Italian gave a pretty straightforward answer.
“For me, it’s impossible to manage Barcelona. I wouldn’t change. You have to respect the personal history and that of the clubs. I wouldn’t change with anyone because I’m very happy here, where the people love me a lot. It’s the best club in the world. The season is very alive; we’re going to play the fourth final. We are satisfied, but we want to finish the season strongly,” said Ancelotti.
He added:
“We only have four points less than last season. The thing is that Barca have much more. Everyone thinks we don’t care about the league, but we do; these games are good to have a good dynamic and atmosphere and until the maths says we can’t win, we will continue to fight.”
Ancelotti’s team have won 32 of their 45 games this season.
