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Real Madrid face Al-Hilal in the Club World Cup final on Saturday (February 11) at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium. The La Liga giants are the favourites to lift the trophy following their 4-1 victory over Al Ahly in the semifinals.
Meanwhile, Los Blancos are interested in handing the reins of the first team to Jurgen Klopp. Elsewhere, the Brazilian FA has denied reaching an agreement with current Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti.
On that note, here's a look at the key Real Madrid transfer stories as on February 11, 2023:
Real Madrid eyeing Jurgen Klopp
Real Madrid are interested in Jurgen Klopp, according to El Nacional via Goal. The German manager is under pressure at Anfield with Liverpool failing to live up to expectations this season.
Meanwhile, Los Blancos' hierarchy is losing patience with Ancelotti, with the team currently struggling this season. Real Madrid are eight points behind Barcelona in La Liga, and the Blaugrana are now the favourites to win the league.
Los Blancos are considering parting ways with Ancelotti this summer and have identified Klopp as his replacement. The La Liga giants have already contacted the German to take charge at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Klopp is reportedly willing to leave the Reds this summer and has already asked the Spanish side to sign Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe.
Brazilian FA denies Carlo Ancelotti links
The Brazilian FA has denied any links with Carlo Ancelotti. The Italian manager has enjoyed a stellar run since taking charge at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2021 for his second stint with Real Madrid.
After helping Los Blancos win the UEFA Champions League and La Liga titles last season, Ancelotti is now on course to win the Club World Cup. However, recent reports have claimed that the Italian has agreed to take charge of the Brazilian national team at the end of this season.
In a recent statement, though, the South American country’s FA refuted those claims and said that the process is still underway to identify the team's next coach.
“This information is false. The question (of a new coach) is being dealt with in a transparent manner, and the chosen coach will be announced when the time is right,” said the Federation.
Ancelotti’s current contract with Real Madrid runs till 2024.
Martin Odegaard hits back at Spanish media
Martin Odegaard reckons the Spanish press were too impatient with him during his stay at Real Madrid.
The Norwegian midfielder joined the La Liga giants in 2015 but failed to get going at the Santiago Bernabeu. After a few loan deals, the 24-year-old finally found his place at Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal and is now one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.
In his column for The Players Tribune, Odegaard outlined his reasons for joining Los Blancos"
“They were the Champions League champions with the best players in the world. Back then, I loved Isco; he was so soft on the ball. The really key thing about Madrid’s offer was that they had a B team where they could play competitive football right away. And the coach of that team? Zinedine Zidane,” said Odegaard.
Odegaard added that the Spanish media criticised him for not living up to expectations while not affording him time to settle at Real Madrid.
“The press persecuted me for not immediately living up to expectations. I was an easy target. If you really know me, you know I smile a lot, but I think from the outside sometimes, my face looks more grumpy than I really am. Maybe if I had been Spanish, they would have given me a little more time to grow up,” said Odegaard.
He continued:
“I was more worried about not making mistakes than really playing my game. My game was always about making a difference and playing the difficult pass. I can understand why it happened now. I was still a little kid, but I’ve learned that you have to be ruthless. You have to not give a f***. You have to show the real you on the pitch.”
Odegaard has appeared 26 times across competitions for the Gunners this season, registering eight goals and six assists.
