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Real Madrid could look to invest in their squad in the upcoming transfer window. Manager Carlo Ancelotti signed Aurelien Tchouameni and Antonio Rudiger in the summer and could look to make more additions in January.
Meanwhile, Karim Benzema has announced his retirement from international football. Elsewhere, Ancelotti has said that he wants to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu till 2024.
On that note, here's a look at the key Real Madrid transfer stories as on December 19, 2022:
Karim Benzema announces international retirement
Karim Benzema has announced his retirement from international football. The French forward won the Ballon d’Or this year after a stupendous 2021-22 season with Real Madrid.
Despite an injury-ravaged start to the current campaign, Benzema was picked in France's 2022 FIFA World Cup squad. However, he failed to make a single appearance after picking up an injury in training before the first game.
The 34-year-old returned to the national side last year after a six-year hiatus due to off-field issues. However, his time with Les Bleus proved to be short-lived, as he has now decided to end the association altogether.
The Frenchman tweeted (translated from French) that his story with the national team has come to an end:
“I made the effort and the mistakes it took to be where I am today, and I'm proud of it! I have written my story, and ours is ending,” wrote Benzema.
Benzema has appeared 97 times for Les Bleus registering 37 goals.
Carlo Ancelotti wants to stay at Real Madrid till 2024
Carlo Ancelotti has expressed a desire to stay in charge of Real Madrid till 2024. The Italian took over at the Santiago Bernabeu for his second spell in the summer of 2021. He enjoyed a brilliant debut season, winning the league and UEFA Champions League.
Ancelotti has done well so far this season but has been linked with the Brazil job since the departure of Tite. However, speaking to the Rai Radio 1 show, the Italian said that he's not going anywhere till the end of his Madrid contract.
"I don't know what the future holds for me, I live day by day. For the moment, I'm happy in Madrid. We have a lot of objectives for this season. There will be time to think about my future. I have a contract until June 30, 2024, and, if Real Madrid don't sack me before then, I'm not going to move," said Ancelotti.
Ancelotti remains determined to help Real Madrid defend both La Liga and Champions League this season.
Luka Modric opens up on his future with Croatia
Luka Modric is not looking to call it a day with the Croatia team just yet. The Real Madrid midfielder was in his element once again at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, helping his nation finish third. The 37-year-old’s future with his national team has been the subject of discussions over the last few days.
There were reports that the player could consider retiring from the Vatreni side after the World Cup. However, speaking to Gol Mundial, as cited by Marca, Modric said that he's eyeing the UEFA Nations League.
“It may be my last game in a World Cup, but I can't say anything. But of course, I am very happy with my career for Croatia. Winning two medals is very important. My dream was to win the cup; it didn't happen, but I am very happy,” said Modric.
He continued:
“We showed that Croatia has a great team, with a very good future ahead, and we must continue on that path. In the future, we will see what happens. I want to continue until the Nations League, and then we'll see what happens.”
The 2018 Ballon d’Or winner went on to shed light on his team’s stellar run at this year's World Cup.
“You could see how we celebrated on the pitch. It means a lot to win two medals in two World Cups; it's something very important and very big for Croatia. You can no longer talk about Croatia as a team that does something every 20 years," said Modric.
He concluded:
"I think with the last World Cup and this one, we have put Croatia on the map of great teams, and we are very happy. We wanted to be in the final, and even though we couldn't, we go home as winners, which is also very important.”
Modric has appeared 18 times across competitions for Los Blancos this season, registering five goals and two assists.
