Eduardo Camavinga of Real Madrid
Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images
Heading into the new season, Eduardo Camavinga has attracted a lot of eyeballs, especially after enduring a difficult campaign last term.
The Frenchman was one of the least-performing midfielders in a season that saw Real Madrid go trophyless once again.
Naturally, there was a lot of pressure on Camavinga, with many fans even calling for his departure in order to fund move for new midfielders.
Eduardo Camavinga of Real Madrid
Camavinga has fallen out of favour, even among fans. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
However, Camavinga has no desire to leave Real Madrid anytime soon and wants to fight for his place in the team, according to a report from Diario AS.
The former Rennes starlet wants to prove Jose Mourinho his worth, having been subjected to much criticism even from Real Madrid supporters.
The club, for its part, are not opposed to selling Camavinga this summer. But the player remains steadfast in his bid to stay and impress Mourinho.
This is despite the fact that Real Madrid are openly searching for a new midfielder this summer, having missed out on Rodri.
Support from Vinicius Jr.
Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid
Vinicius Jr. has come out in support of Camavinga following criticism from fans. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Thankfully for Camavinga, the Frenchman has received some much-needed support from none other than Vinicius Jr.
The Brazilian international, who has recently renewed his contract, has reacted to critics online by posting a photo with Camavinga with the ‘general’ emoji.
The report even highlights how Vinicius’ aura inside the dressing room has changed and as one of the leaders in the team, he is looking to back everyone up.
This is a breath of fresh air for Camavinga, who is gearing up for perhaps his most important season at the Bernabeu.
Real Madrid, after all, have been ruthless with their sales so far and are expected to sanction the departure of many youth players this summer.
It remains to be seen if Camavinga is among the list of players leaving the Bernabeu by the end of the summer transfer window.
Rodri of Manchester City
Photo by Annabel Lee-Ellis/Getty Images
The last week has seen Real Madrid lose out on the opportunity to sign Manchester City star Rodri, with arch-rivals Barcelona leapfrogging them in the race.
Now, Fernando Morientes believes the story surrounding Rodri’s decision to join Barcelona has been framed the wrong way, insisting Real Madrid were never fully committed to signing the midfielder in the first place.
The former Real Madrid striker shared his views on El Partidazo de COPE (h/t SPORT), where he argued that the club’s stance has been misrepresented following Rodri’s agreement to join Barcelona.
Rodri of Manchester City
Rodri is expected to join Barcelona. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Morientes did not hold back when discussing the transfer saga, dismissing the idea that Real Madrid genuinely lost out to their Clasico rivals.
“It seems like a very bad joke to me,” he said.
“Those of us who know how this works are aware that Real Madrid never really wanted Rodri at any point,” he revealed.
He also took issue with claims that Rodri had actively turned down Los Blancos.
“They’re treating us like fools when they say Rodri rejected Real Madrid,” he exclaimed.
Morientes believes the club are now shifting responsibility onto the player instead of admitting they chose not to pursue the deal aggressively.
“Now they pass the hot potato to the player by saying he wanted to sign for Barcelona,” he said.
He then made the strongest claim of all.
“If Florentino Perez had wanted him, this signing would not have slipped away,” he said.
Perez has a reputation for signing the players he wants at any cost for Real Madrid, but Rodri was a rare miss.
Rodri of Manchester City
Morientes is not too happy with Rodri. (Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images)
Whether the club chose to move on from him, chose not to pursue him in the first place or whether the player decided to turn a move down is something only the two parties know.
Rodri would have been an excellent fit for Jose Mourinho’s system at Real Madrid, bringing important quality to the midfield.
Los Blancos have failed to find a midfield playmaker since Toni Kroos retired from football, and Rodri would have been the answer to that.
Meanwhile, Barcelona are continuing to push to sign him from Manchester City, but Madrid have moved on.
The club may look to make more signings between now and the end of the summer, but it looks certain now that one of them will not be Rodri.