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Real Madrid welcome Las Palmas to the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday (September 27) in La Liga. Manager Carlo Ancelotti will be eager to secure all three points after a 3-1 defeat at Atletico Madrid at the weekend, the club's first loss of the season.
Meanwhile, Los Blancos are planning to strike a deal with Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe in January. Elsewhere, the La Liga giants face competition for the signature of Troyes winger Savinho.
On that note, here's a look at the key Real Madrid transfer stories as on September 27, 2023:
Real Madrid eyeing January Kylian Mbappe deal
Real Madrid are planning to reach an agreement with Kylian Mbappe in January ahead of a summer move, according to Defensa Central. The La Liga giants remain desperate to end the long-drawn saga on a positive note and are working to sign the Frenchman on a Bosman move.
The 24-year-old's contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires in less than 12 months, but he doesn't want to sign an extension. Los Blancos are long-term admirers of the player and are keen to bring him to the Santiago Bernabeu in 2024.
However, with the Parisians still trying to lure Mbappe with exorbitant wages, Madrid want to leave nothing to chance. Los Blancos are planning to reach a pre-agreement with the player in January, with the player also keen to join them.
Los Blancos face Savinho competition
Real Madrid face competition from Manchester City for the services of Savinho, according to Fichajes.
The Brazilian winger is on loan with Girona but will return to his parent club Troyes in the summer. Los Blancos are hoping to lap him up in 2024 but face a big hurdle ahead.
City also have their eyes on Savinho and have a clear advantage in the race. As Troyes are part of the City group, it makes it very easy for the Premier League champions to get their man.
Meanwhile, the Brazilian also dreams of playing for City and professed his admiration for the club as recently as last week. Real Madrid, as such, may have to move on to alternate targets.
Carlo Ancelotti opens up on recent criticism
Carlo Ancelotti remains unaffected by the criticism for his tactical tweak against Atletico Madrid.
The Real Madrid manager opted to tinker with his system, starting without a No. 9. He also benched Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni to opt for old guards Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
The decisions backfired, as Los Blancos stumbled against their bitter rivals at the Civatas Metropolitano. The Italian manager was slammed for the changes, but Ancelotti reckons it's all part of the job.
Speaking to the press, as cited by AS, Ancelotti acknowledged that no system is perfect but added that he's working to address the issues.
"Criticism is part of my job. When you manage Real Madrid and things don’t go well, the criticism comes out. It’s logical. It doesn’t affect me.
"Having said that, I have to evaluate the things we don’t do well, which isn’t a lot, but you have to work on it. My evaluation is different to that of a lot of people. We’ve done well until this point, and we have to carry on," said Ancelotti.
He continued:
"Every system has its difficulties: the diamond isn’t perfect, but the 4-3-3 isn’t either. Every setup has weaknesses.
"The diamond allows you to press higher, to be more energetic, but it can allow you to end up out of shape for crosses, because the midfielders don’t always get back. We are working on it. The problem is obvious, and it can be fixed."
Ancelotti also remained coy about his future, heaping praise on his potential successor Xavi Alonso.
"I’m very happy here, everyone knows it. But now is not the time for that (renewal talks). I know him (Xavi Alonso), because I had him as a player. He has an enormous knowledge of the game, and he is doing great at Leverkusen.
"I hope he, like Raúl or Arbeloa, manages Madrid one day because this is the top level, because I love them. Hopefully they can manage Madrid one day," said Ancelotti.
The Italian's contract with the La Liga giants expires next summer, and he's likely to leave to take charge of the Brazilian national team.
