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According to El Nacional, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti wants Andriy Lunin sold despite the player's reluctance to leave. Ancelotti thinks that the Ukrainian shot-stopper hasn't reached the level desired of him.
Lunin, 24, joined Los Blancos in 2018 and has since made 17 appearances for the Madrid giants across competitions, keeping four clean sheets. Having Thibaut Ccourtois as the No. 1 goalkeeper hasn't helped Lunin's case either .as opportunities have been few and far between for the Ukrainian.
The likes of Jesus Vallejo, Eden Hazard and Mariano Diaz have left the club, and Los Blancos are close to finding a buyer for Alvaro Odriozola. Hence, Lunin remains as the only player in the team who's surplus to requirements at the moment.
Moreover, Real Madrid have reportedly identified a replacement for Lunin as Courtois' back-up in the form of Getafe's David Soria. The 30-year-old's bright form has pushed fans to make a call for Soria to be included in Spain's squad, too.
Soria, though, has offers from Serie A and could end up there. The player is waiting for Los Blancos' call, as per the aforementioned report, but it's difficult for the Madrid giants to sign Soria before sorting out Lunin's future.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti makes assessment of team's pre-season
Real Madrid's pre-season in the US came to an end with the 3-1 loss against Juventus. While Los Blancos beat AC Milan and Manchester United, they were beaten by Barcelona and Juve.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti reacted to the team's pre-season, outlining how it went and what needs to be improved (via Los Blancos' website):
“It's been a positive pre-season, and in the games we've played, we've displayed different qualities. One was very good, and the other was in terms of defence, which we need to improve.
"The team isn't used to defending in a diamond formation. We conceded a lot of goals against Juventus and Barcelona. We lacked balance, and we need to fix that.”
Ancelotti added:
“The defensive aspect is the easiest to improve because it's a problem of positioning, focus and attitude. We were good and aggressive when pressing, but we were weak in the low block.
"It's been quite clear in the last two games. Moving the block back might be an option to take into account. But I'll take the good things and the chances we created in attack.”
Real Madrid finished a distant second in La Liga last season and were battered in the UEFA Champions League semifinals by eventual winners Manchester City. As the club look to improve their results this term, their pre-season displays left a lot to be desired.
