Reguilón believes Real Madrid will win a title next season

Sergio Reguilón was recently interviewed by Goal, where he was asked whether he believes Real will win a trophy next season and what his future at the club may hold for him.

“Yes, yes, 100%! We will win one of the three big titles next year, 100%.”

“I have offers from abroad, from Europe. I would prefer to play abroad, but above all I would prefer to stay at Real Madrid.”

“There are a lot of rumors but that’s up to the management of the club. I know that the club is very happy about what I have achieved this year and I trust in myself, in what I have done, in the coach, in my contract.

“I think we are going to reach a good conclusion for everyone.”

It is a bit of a hot take to flat out say Real will win a title next season, though certainly a bit expected if Real splash the rumored cash motherlode this summer. Still, coming off a trophy-less season, it is a bold prediction.

Reguilón took huge strides this year with the first team, playing in Marcelo’s absence for quite a while. He showed his promise as a prospect and potential starting left back when Marcelo eventually departs.

It would be in both parties, club and player, to continue the relationship into next season. I believe Reguilón’s performances and reliability under Solari was enough to earn a the stay in Madrid.

Jorge Valdano gives high praise to Zidane

Former Real Madrid forward and manager Jorge Valdano spoke with ESPN recently where he praised Zidane and marked him as the right manager for the club.

“Zidane’s return was, for me, almost a heroic act. He knew it was risky, but he did it.”

“The president and the club must be very grateful. He should have a statue here at the Santiago Bernabéu and another in Florentino’s garden.”

“Just from his presence, the season ended much more peacefully than it could have. When there is no sporting director, it is the coach who must make the decisions. The risk he took would be in exchange for having the power to design the squad for next season.”

“Things are different now from his first spell in charge, when he had clear leaders – Sergio Ramos for spirit, Luka Modric for football, Cristiano Ronaldo being decisive, and all at the height of their careers.”

“Now Zidane must put together something new, with new players coming in. We don’t know how they will adapt to a new city and the unique nature of this club.”

“That will test him, but if anyone has won the confidence of the club, it is Zidane.”

Even if his statements are a bit hyperbolic, Valdano isn’t wrong in saying Zidane deserves some credit for jumping back into the reigns during a of a season. He should be given the statue in Perez’s for winning three consecutive Champions League titles alone.

Zidane stepped away from a European champion and inherited a mess in less than a full season. Now, he’s tasked with bringing in players he wants to fit his mold for next season and restore the club to some sort of glory.

Spending money on brand new players doesn’t guarantee success, as Valdano points out with regards to a “unique culture” at Real Madrid, but it certainly gets the club a lot closer to being a champion again next season.

Pedrerol says Frankfurt want €100 million for Jovic

El Chiringuito’s Josep Pedrerol recently claimed that Eintracht Frankfurt are now asking for €100 million for striker Luka Jovic.

This is coming off of last week’s Sky Sports report that said Real had agreed to a €60 million deal for the 21-year-old. And another recent report where Frankfurt’s footballing director Fredi Bobic said no agreement had been made between the two clubs.

Pedrerol also claims that Barcelona are now interested and Real are not willing to pay more than €70 million for him.

One thing that is a bit of a red flag with this report is Barcelona’s rumored interest. Barcelona had reportedly been interested earlier this season in signing Jovic, but didn’t want to pay around €60 million for him then. Now at a rumored €100 million, it just doesn’t make sense why they would be interested now.

If Pedrerol’s report about the asking price is true, Real are right to back off. Jovic at 21 is very good already, but he’s not worth this much yet. Barcelona overpaid for Ousmane Dembele at €105 million and Real would be overpaying as well for Jovic. It’s safe to say the only 20-year-old worth this much, or even more, is Kylian Mbappe.

Jovic is a dynamic striker, he can score with both feet, but one great season isn’t enough to demand this kind of money already. At €60 million, it’s a great deal; at €100 million, it’s overpaying with the hope he becomes worth this price as he matures. This only adds to an already hyper-inflated transfer market.

Like before, we’ll have to see what reports come true and what the fate of Luka Jovic is this summer.