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Real Madrid stuttered to a 1-1 draw against Osasuna at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday (October 2) in La Liga. Vinicius Junior opened the scoring for the hosts before Kike Garcia equalised for the visitors. The returning Karim Benzema then missed a late spot-kick as Madrid's perfect start to the season came to an end.
Meanwhile, Los Blancos are unimpressed with the situation with Erling Haaland. Elsewhere, Aurelien Tchouameni has said that he rejected PSG this summer.
On that note, here's a look at the key Real Madrid transfer stories as on October 3, 2022:
Real Madrid unimpressed with Erling Haaland situation
Real Madrid are unimpressed at Erling Haaland’s use of the club's name to boost his position, as relayed by Marca via The Real Champs.
The Norwegian was heavily linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu this summer but opted to join Manchester City instead. Los Blancos had identified him as a possible successor to Karim Benzema. Haaland has managed 17 goals from 11 appearances this season, and there will certainly be regrets at the La Liga giants at missing out on him.
Norwegian's father, Alfe Haaland, recently said that Real Madrid were the third choice for the player this summer. The comments have not gone down well with the club's hierarchy. Although Los Blancos admire the player's qualities on the pitch, they believe there's no point in indulging speculation about his future at the moment.
Aurelien Tchouameni says he rejected PSG this summer
Aurelien Tchouameni has said that he turned down a move to PSG this summer. The Frenchman moved to Real Madrid from AS Monaco this summer and has hit the ground running.
Speaking to Telefoot, as cited by Madrid Universal, Tchouameni said that he only had eyes for Los Blancos.
"I didn’t hesitate with PSG. It’s also a big European club, but I had no doubts: I only wanted Real Madrid. €80 million fee? I was not the one who was in the office to give the figures. You arrive in Madrid, and you have to perform, stop," said Tchouameni.
The Frenchman has helped the La Liga giants deal with the departure of Casemiro, who left for Manchester United this summer. Tchouameni's superb rise has seen him being compared with Paul Pogba. However, the 22-year-old said that he wants to create his own story.
"The new Pogba? It’s flattering because Paul is having a great career, but I am Aurelien Tchouameni. We still have a relatively different style of play. I try to create my own story," said Tchouameni.
Tchouameni has appeared nine times this season for Real Madrid.
Carlo Ancelotti refuses to blame international break for Sunday's draw
Carlo Ancelotti has refused to lay the blame for Sunday's draw on the recent international break. Real Madrid's 100% win record this season came to an end this weekend.
Speaking after the game against Osasuna, as cited by Managing Madrid, Ancelotti is hopeful of another good run next.
"In general, the game was good. It was a bit flat at points. But the second half had a lot more intensity after the equaliser. The substitutions allowed us to have fresher players. But we can’t use the international break as an excuse," said Ancelotti.
He added:
"We’re sad about dropping points, but this was a good opponent, and we need to look forward. They were well organised and had a little bit of luck. We were on a great run, and now we’ll try to start another great run."
Ancelotti also shed light on the decision to let Karim Benzema take a decisive late penalty despite missing one earlier this season. The Frenchman went on to miss the spot-kick.
"I was thinking about changing. But he took the two most important penalties of last season against Manchester City and scored them. So, he’s our best taker. It wasn’t his best match overall, but that’s because he’s probably not so sharp yet. He should improve over the coming games," said Ancelotti.
Benzema has appeared seven times this season, scoring four goals.
