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Real Madrid are preparing to face Barcelona in the Spanish Supercup final on Sunday (January 14) at the Al-Awwal Stadium in Riyadh. Carlo Ancelotti's wards are coming off a thrilling 5-3 extra time win over Atletico Madrid earlier this week.
Meanwhile, Los Blancos have turned their attention to Napoli striker Victor Osimhen. Elsewhere, the La Liga giants are not planning to permanently sign on-loan Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga this summer.
On that note, here's a look at the key Real Madrid transfer stories as on January 12, 2024:
Real Madrid eyeing Victor Osimhen
Real Madrid have identified Victor Osimhen as a possible alternative to Kylian Mbappe, according to Football Transfers.
The French superstar is a priority target for Los Blancos this year and is in the final six months of his contract with Paris Saint-Germain. The La Liga giants are eyeing a Bosman move for Mbappe at the end of this season.
However, the 25-year-old is causing internal friction at the Santiago Bernabeu, with not everyone convinced by his potential arrival. The Real Madrid hierarchy believe Osimhen is similar to Karim Benzema in his style of play and as such would be better suited for the role. The Nigerian striker has been a huge hit at Napoli, registering 67 goals and 17 assists in 119 games across competitions.
Senior figures at Los Blancos are advocating a move for Osimhen ahead of Mbappe. Interestingly, the Frenchman infamously turned down the Spanish giants at the eleventh hour in 2022 in favour of a contract extension with the Parisians.
Los Blancos unlikely to permanently sign Kepa Arrizabalaga
Real Madrid are unlikely to seek a permanent stay for Kepa Arrizabalaga at the end of the season, according to Marca.
The Spanish custodian was signed on loan from Chelsea last summer to help deal with Thibault Courtois' potentially season-ending ACL injury. Kepa has done a decent job, registering seven clean sheets in 17 outings across competitions.
The 29-year-old has previously expressed a desire to settle at the Santiago Bernabeu. While the La Liga giants are pleased with his efforts, they are not considering his stay beyond this season.
Courtois is likely to retain his No. 1 position once he returns to full fitness. Meanwhile, Andriy Lunin has already shown that he can be an able deputy to the Belgian.
The Ukrainian goalkeeper has also kept Kepa on his toes this campaign with a string of fine performances. The Spaniard's poor showing against Atletico Madrid earlier this week raised doubts about his future with Los Blancos.
Kepa's massive wages are also a deal breaker for Real Madrid, who are likely to let him return to Stamford Bridge this summer.
Radu Dragusin dreams of Santiago Bernabeu move
Radu Dragusin dreams of moving to Real Madrid or Barcelona, according to his agent Florin Manea.
The Romanian defender joined Tottenham Hotspur from Genoa on Thursday. The 21-year-old reportedly turned down an approach from Bayern Munich to move to London, a decision that didn't go down well with his agent.
Speaking to Romanian news outlet Digisport, Manea backed his client to move to the Santiago Bernabeu in three to four years.
"I was looking at a picture from when we started together at Juve, I was looking at how skinny he was.
"We are only at the beginning of the road. We want them to reach the best clubs in the world. We were close. Bayern is among the biggest clubs, but his dream is Real or Barcelona," said Manea.
He continued:
"If he was 23-24 years old and had more experience, maybe he would have decided to go to Bayern, but I also took into account the age, and the competition, I took into account many things. In three or four years, I see him at Real Madrid."
Los Blancos remain in the hunt for a new defender, with David Alaba, Antonio Rudiger and Nacho Fernandez on the wrong side of 30. Should Dragusin impress with Spurs, a Madrid move could be on the horizon.
