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Spanish champions Real Madrid have reportedly (via UOL) identified Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes and Monaco’s Aurelien Tchouameni as candidates to eventually replace their defensive midfielder Casemiro.
Since making his breakthrough under Zinedine Zidane in 2016, Casemiro has been an integral member of the Madrid squad over the years. Alongside Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, he has formed a midfield trio, helping Los Blancos become a force to be reckoned with in both Spain and Europe.
The Brazilian has helped Real win three La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies, among other honors. But according to the aforementioned report, the Spanish champions do not consider him to be indispensable anymore.
Real Madrid want to revamp their squad in the summer, and midfield is one of their main areas of focus. With Modric (36) and Kroos (32) both on the wrong side of 30, Casemiro (30) is the only player who can generate revenue for Madrid. They will look to invest that money to bring in younger players to future-proof their midfield.
Monaco’s Tchouameni, who has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in France, is a candidate to replace Casemiro. Newcastle star Guimaraes is also supposedly a person of interest. The Brazilian has mesmerized the Premier League with his defensive acumen and as well as creativity since joining from Lyon in January.
Considering Casemiro’s contract does not expire until June 2025, Real Madrid are unlikely to sell him for cheap. The 13-time European champions will reportedly only entertain offers over the €50 million mark. Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus are the two names that are being linked with the combative midfielder.
Real Madrid could be without David Alaba in Champions League semi-final second-leg against Manchester City
As per Marca, Los Merengues will be without their ever-reliable central defender David Alaba for Wednesday’s (4 May) crucial Champions League clash against Manchester City.
The Austrian defender could not play in Saturday’s (April 30) La Liga title-winning victory over Espanyol and also missed the most recent training session. As per Mundo Deportivo, Alaba has suffered a fibrillar rupture, but the timeline for his return is not yet known.
Nacho Fernandez is set to replace him in the starting XI this week, but the Spaniard’s aerial ability leaves a lot to be desired. Manchester City scored one from a straightforward cross through Gabriel Jesus and could have added more had they been more clinical.
If Real wish to overturn last week’s 4-3 defeat, they must sort out their defense and stop giving away cheap goals.
