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Real Madrid are putting together final preparations ahead of the first El Clasico of the year. Carlo Ancelotti's men lock horns with their bitter rivals Barcelona at the Al-Awwal Stadium in Riyadh on Sunday (January 14) in the Spanish Super Cup final
Meanwhile, Los Blancos are worried that Kylian Mbappe will sign an extension with Paris Saint-Germain. Elsewhere, the Spanish giants have received a boost in their plans to sign Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies this summer.
On that note, here's a look at the key Real Madrid transfer stories as on January 13, 2024:
Real Madrid have Kylian Mbappe worry
Real Madrid reckon that Kylian Mbappe could sign an extension with PSG this year, according to journalist Jose Felix Diaz.
The La Liga giants are long-term admirers of the French superstar and are hoping to sign him on a Bosman deal this summer. Mbappe's contract with the Parisians expires in six months, but he hasn't penned a new deal yet.
However, Los Blancos have been in a similar situation before, in 2022. Real Madrid were confident of signing the 25-year-old for free, but the player had a change of heart in the eleventh hour.
PSG have submitted their latest offer on the table for Mbappe, but he's yet to make a decision. The Parisians are eager to keep hold of their prized asset, as publicly declared by president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
Los Blancos are having a sense of deja vu and are eyeing alternatives. The club have had their eyes on Manchester City's Erling Haaland for a while, and he remains an option.
Napoli hitman Victor Osimhen has emerged as a recent target, thanks to his exploits in Naples.
Los Blancos receive Alphonso Davies boost
Real Madrid have received a boost in their pursuit of Alphonso Davies.
Journalist Christian Falk has said that the Canadian left-back could leave Bayern Munich this summer. Los Blancos have identified the 23-year-old as the ideal upgrade on Ferland Mendy, who's expected to leave this year. Davies' contract with the Bavarians expires in 2025.
In his column for Caught Offside, Falk added that the Canadian was close to an extension with the Bundesliga champions last year.
"The talks with Alphonso Davies are not very far along at the moment. I’ve mentioned before that at the beginning of the prior summer window there was an agreement in place for €12m-a-year – but then the man behind it, Hasan Salihamidžić, was fired.
"Now, there is an open window because of the new sporting director, Christoph Freund, and the player’s camp is using this to get more time," wrote Falk.
Falk went on to add that David Alaba is trying to convince Davies to move to the Santiago Bernabeu.
“David Alaba and Davies are obviously good friends and the former is of course speaking of how great Real Madrid is. Don’t forget that Madrid can also pay a big salary! I think there’s a big chance for Real Madrid at the moment," wrote Falk.
He continued:
“Also, Davies is not doing so well at Bayern Munich, so they won’t pay any crazy money for him because they’re not confident in his performance levels at the moment.
"There may be a goodbye for Davies this summer, but he’s not signed anything yet with either party, so we have to wait."
The 23-year-old has appeared 176 times across competitions for Bayern Munich, racking up eight goals and 28 assists.
Luka Modric to receive massive offer from Middle East
Luka Modric is set to receive a massive offer from Saudi Arabia this summer, according to AS.
The Croatian midfielder is nearing the final phase of his career, and his contract with Real Madrid expires this summer. Modric has struggled for game time since the arrival of Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund in the summer.
The 38-year-old has appeared 22 times across competitions this season, starting 13. Modric was wanted in the Middle East last summer, but he rejected a €300 million offer from Al-Hilal to renew with Los Blancos.
However, with his future up in the air, the Saudis could return for the Croatian at the end of the season. It's unclear whether he would be offered the same mammoth three-year deal, given that he turns 39 in September.
