Fabrizio Romano has reported in depth on Real Madrid’s latest crisis, with key updates on Trent Alexander-Arnold, Vinicius Junior and the possible sacking of head coach Alvaro Arbeloa.
Los Blancos have been sent into trouble following a string of poor recent results that have seen them eliminated from the Champions League at the hands of Bayern Munich and fall nine points behind Barcelona in La Liga with seven games remaining.
With the prospect of finishing a second successive season without a trophy, Romano has previewed what he predicts will be an “earthquake” at the Bernabeu.
Arbeloa ‘appreciated’ at Real Madrid
Romano says that simply because the season is set to finish in disappointment, Arbeloa will not necessarily be sacked.
“Arbeloa has been really appreciated internally at Real Madrid. First of all, people like his attitude. Second, they really value how he trusted young players from Castilla, because that is something Real Madrid want to continue doing,” Romano explained on his YouTube channel.
“And then the game against Bayern was also appreciated. The team competed well against Manchester City earlier and then against Bayern too. Even though there was the red card for Camavinga, the attitude and the performance were respected inside the club. Of course, in terms of trophies and results, nothing has been won. That is the point.
“Real Madrid will assess Arbeloa’s position internally. It is possible that he could leave the club between now and the end of the season, but at the moment Real Madrid have not communicated anything official to him.”
Real Madrid’s next manager: Klopp, Mourinho or Deschamps?
Although there is no vacancy, several high-profile names have been linked with the task of being Real Madrid’s next manager. Among these, Didier Deschamps, Jurgen Klopp and Jose Mourinho are the most prominent.
Romano played down the prospect of Deschamps or Mourinho taking the role, but he did reveal Klopp is a name that has been circulated around the Spanish capital already.
He explained: “Real Madrid are still having internal conversations about managers, and one of the names always mentioned internally is Jurgen Klopp. But at the moment, that is not something advanced or concrete.
“Real Madrid have many people in the board who really appreciate Klopp, but first they need to understand whether Klopp really wants to return to the daily job of a manager. That has to be clear before anything else.”
Alexander-Arnold and Vini Jr plan revealed
On the playing front, Romano has revealed that Real Madrid have no plans to part with either Trent Alexander-Arnold or Vinicius Junior, whose contract situation continues to generate headlines.
“Real Madrid believe this was a season where Trent had to adapt to a new league, a new city, a new life, and a new style of football. They are happy with his attitude,” Romano said.
“It was not an easy start, but he has improved, and the club are convinced. Trent will 100 percent stay this summer. He is not going to be on the market. Forget the rumours about Saudi Arabia or a return to the Premier League. He is staying at Real Madrid.
“As for Vinicius Junior, Real Madrid still want to continue with him. The new contract proposal remains on the table and negotiations will continue. It is Florentino Perez who really wants Vinicius to stay and sign a new deal. So the intention from Real Madrid remains clear: continue with Vinicius.”
Real Madrid eager not to repeat Modric mistake
Romano also discussed the prospect of losing the likes of Antonio Rudiger and Dani Carvajal, with Los Blancos eager to learn from their mistake of allowing Luka Modric to leave at the end of his contract last season.
“For Antonio Rudiger, it is still a 50-50 situation. Nothing has been agreed yet with Real Madrid over a new deal. The club would be open to keeping him on a short-term contract, but they still need to understand the conditions. So at the moment, we cannot guarantee a renewal. Talks will happen, yes, but nothing is decided,” Romano said.
“For Dani Carvajal, the situation is quiet for now. This could depend on the manager. Under Arbeloa, the situation was not easy because Carvajal was almost never playing. If another manager comes in, the situation could change. There is also a leadership angle here.
“People inside Real Madrid believe that losing Luka Modric last summer on a free was a big mistake in terms of leadership, even if he is still performing well at Milan. Now the club do not want to lose another leader like Carvajal without thinking carefully. He has had calls from Qatar in the last six months, so he has options, but his future will depend on what Madrid decide.
“And then there is David Alaba, who will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season. That is 100 percent. It is over.”
