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Real Madrid suffered a 1-0 defeat against Barcelona at the Allegiant Stadium in a friendly on Saturday. Manager Carlo Ancelotti’s side were undone by a Raphinha strike in the first half.
Meanwhile, Casemiro has ruled out an exit from the Santiago Bernabeu any time soon. Elsewhere, Thibaut Courtois has refused to dwell on the El Clasico defeat.
On that note, here's a look at the key Real Madrid transfer stories as on July 24, 2022:
Casemiro rules out Real Madrid exit
Casemiro has ruled out an exit from Real Madrid. The Brazilian’s future at the club has come under speculation since the arrival of Aurelien Tchouameni this summer. The Frenchman is expected to eventually replace the 30-year-old, who has been linked with an exit from the Santiago Bernabeu.
However, speaking to Sportv, Casemiro said that he wants to honour his current contract, which runs till 2025
“I have a contract with Real Madrid until 2025; we know that no player is non-transferable, but today, for me, it is not a reality. My thought is to stay at Real Madrid,” said Casemiro.
Thibaut Courtois refuses to dwell on El Clasico defeat
Thibaut Courtois has refused to dwell on the El Clasico defeat on Saturday. The Belgian is regarded among the best goalkeepers in the world but could do little to stop a superb Raphinha strike at the Allegiant Stadium.
Speaking after the game, as relayed by Marca, Courtois pointed out that pre-season results have little significance.
“Obviously, you can't draw too many conclusions. Some have been training for two weeks, and others have only been training for one week. The most important thing is to get into a rhythm, to start with a good intensity, which in other years, we didn't have,” said Courtois.
He continued:
For a first game, it was good. The only thing is that we didn't have a goal, and they scored a great goal. We hit the crossbar, and they had one that went into the top corner.”
Courtois added:
“In pre-season, the result doesn't count. I remember, when we lost 7-3 against Atletico Madrid, and then we beat them twice and won the league that season. The results now don't say much. Obviously, we'd prefer to win, especially in front of the fans in the United States, but it's the first game, and we had to get into a rhythm. We don't like the defeat, but we shouldn't take it too dramatically.”
Courtois went on to speak about Eden Hazard, expressing confidence that the 31-year-old would flourish for Real Madrid next season.
“It depends on where the coach puts him. In Belgium, he plays in 3-4-3 and as an inside player, not as a striker. So, it depends. He's doing very well. He's only been training for a week, but I'm sure he can bring a lot to the team,” said Courtois.
He concluded:
"We'll have to see when Karim (Benzema) comes back how we can put the team together with Eden. These are questions for the coach. His injuries are in the past. The other day (Antonio) Rudiger kicked him (in training), and he got up (laughs)".
Carlo Ancelotti happy with his squad
Carlo Ancelotti is pleased with the players at his disposal. Real Madrid have added Aurelien Tchouameni and Antonio Rudiger to their roster this summer.
Speaking after the defeat to Barcelona, as relayed by Marca, the Italian said that his current squad is better than last year.
“I think we have a better squad now than the one we had last year. In training, you can see that there is even more intensity. I think there was a lot of intensity in this match, especially in the first half, and I thought it was an even game. I tried to spread out the minutes among the players. I wanted to play some younger players. Overall, I liked this performance against a strong opponent,” said Ancelotti.
Ancelotti also revealed that Karim Benzema is set to feature against Club America and Juventus.
“He should play 45 minutes in the game against Club America and then more minutes against Juventus. In the Juventus game, I'll test the lineup that will probably start the UEFA Super Cup,” said Ancelotti.
