Real Madrid Transfer News Roundup: Los Blancos eyeing Florian Wirtz; club identify Jude Bellingham alternative, and more - February 23, 2023

Real Madrid are preparing to face Atletico Madrid in La Liga on Saturday (February 25). Carlo Ancelotti's team are second in the league after 22 games, eight points behind Barcelona.

Meanwhile, Los Blancos are interested in Florian Wirtz. Elsewhere, the La Liga giants have identified Youri Tielemans as a plan B if they miss out on Jude Bellingham.

On that note, here's a look at the key Real Madrid transfer stories as on February 23, 2023:

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Real Madrid eyeing Florian Wirtz

Florian Wirtz is wanted at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Real Madrid are keeping a close eye on Florian Wirtz, according to Fichajes via The Hard Tackle.

The 19-year-old has earned rave reviews with his performances for Bayer Leverkusen and is attracting attention from clubs around Europe. Apart from Los Blancos, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are also interested in the German.

However, Wirtz is likely to command a sizeable transfer fee, which might rule the Blaugrana out of the equation. The Bavarians are eyeing the player as a possible replacement for the ageing Thomas Muller. Real Madrid, meanwhile, believe he could eventually fill the shoes of Luka Modric at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Wirtz recently recovered from a cruciate ligament fracture to return to action for Leverkusen. He has registered seven appearances across competitions this season, recording one goal and three assists.

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Los Blancos identify Jude Bellingham alternative

Jude Bellingham is likely to ignite a bidding war this summer.

Real Madrid have identified Youri Tielemans as a possible failsafe option if they miss out on Jude Bellingham, according to Diariogol.

The English midfielder is a priority target for the La Liga giants this summer. Los Blancos want to lay down succession plans for their ageing midfield. Luka Modric and Toni Kroos are in the final few months of their contract, and their future remains undecided.

Bellingham has been identified as the perfect candidate to take Real Madrid's midfield forward. However, with intense competition expected for his signature this summer, the La Liga giants have identified Tielemans as a plan B. The Belgian midfielder has been pretty impressive for Leicester City since arriving in 2019.

The 25-year-old is set to be available on a Bosman move this summer, making him an enticing prospect for Los Blancos. Tielemans has registered four goals and an assist from 28 games across competitions for Leicester City this season.

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Rio Ferdinand praises Real Madrid's recruitment team

Rio Ferdinand has spoken highly of the squad rebuilding process at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand reckons Real Madrid's recruitment team deserve a round of applause for their work behind the scenes. The La Liga giants have a healthy mix of youth and experience in the squad, which was on display in their midweek win over Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League.

Speaking after the game, as cited by Marca, Ferdinand said that Los Blancos have shown great patience in adding to a team that's already winning.

"You look at their team from last year and think it is another year older; Benzema, Kroos, Modric, it is going to be tough; they've lost Casemiro. The recruitment over the last couple of years from the Galactico era to bringing young players in and developing, like Vinicius, Rodrygo, Camavinga," said Ferdinand.

He continued:

"These players are now looking like proper players in the Champions League. They have been developed over time. The patience of that, added to a team that is still winning. You have to give props to the people behind the scenes who are running that ship."

However, Ferdinand noted that Real Madrid are still suffering from a lack of confidence.

"This is a team that have been lacking confidence all season. They have had good results in the last two games. But you see the frailties as soon as they go behind, with the lack of confidence from over a period of time come to the fore. It is difficult to build confidence overnight. It comes with five, six, seven eight games."

The La Liga giants will be hoping their recent resurgence will help galvanise the team ahead of the business end of the season.