Real Madrid dealt transfer blow as Napoli target agrees new contract

Robin Bairner

• 25 Nov 2022 12:58 GMT
• 3 min read

Real Madrid’s hopes of landing a new defensive midfielder have taken a hit with the news that one of their leading targets for the role has committed himself to a long-term deal elsewhere.

According to FootMercato, Madrid had been so interested in Napoli defensive midfielder Stanislav Lobotka that they had contacted the Serie A leaders over a potential transfer deal.

Los Blancos were reportedly told that they would have to pay between €60-€70 million for the 27-year-old, who only joined Napoli in the summer of 2020 from Celta Vigo for €20m.

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Such a sum looks a princely fee for a player that FootballTransfers values at a worth of €12.2m, though he has nearly three years left to run on his deal in Italy.

Real Madrid’s hopes of landing Lobotka have been severely damaged, however, with the news that the midfielder has agreed a new long-term contract with Napoli that will tie him to the club until 2027.

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Lobotka has a fan in Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti is said to be a big fan of the player thanks to his hard-working nature and his technical qualities.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, are in the process of renewing their midfield, with the iconic trio of Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric slowly being turned over. This process was speeded up in the summer as the Brazil international completed a swift and rather surprising move to Manchester United.

Kroos and Modric, though, are both in the latter years of their careers and Madrid are working on a succession plan. Eduardo Camavinga was signed from Rennes in 2020 and Aurelien Tchouameni was added for €100m from Monaco in the summer, pointing towards the club’s future.

Lobokta could also be involved in this process, although Ancelotti wanted to sign him in the summer of 2023, which his new contract with Napoli will make complicated.