Real Madrid face losing hero of Liverpool win in the summer

Robin Bairner

• 22 Feb 2023 14:35 GMT
• 3 min read

Real Madrid face the prospect of losing defender Nacho Fernandez on a free transfer in the summer, with the defender dropping a hint that he will not remain at the club.

The 33-year-old defender played an important role in Tuesday’s 5-2 Champions League victory over Liverpool. Although he had a quiet match individually, he provided stability at the back that was missing before David Alaba went off with a hamstring injury.

It was a performance that showed Nacho could still have a significant role to play at the Bernabeu, but it appears that the player has already made up his mind about his future.

DREAM: How Real Madrid would line up with Mbappe and Hakimi

Nacho’s contract is up at the end of the season, meaning he can leave as a free agent if he does not sign a new deal.

Having been frustrated in terms of the number of minutes he has had this season, the expectation is that he will leave, and in comments made after the Liverpool fixture, he did little to quell the speculation that he will be on the transfer market.

“I felt very bad at the beginning of the season. I will make a personal decision on my future, it’s about my family too,” he told COPE.

I quotes relayed by Marca, he said: “Even if I play every minute, this will not influence my decision.”

PROFILE: Who is Alvaro Rodriguez? Real Madrid's new striking sensation ready to shine

Nacho: No call on Real Madrid future yet

Nacho did admit, however, that there is room for a U-turn.

“Real told me that if I want, I can renew. I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet,” the versatile defender added.

Prior to the World Cup, he had started only one match in La Liga and frequently found himself as an unused substitute, but his fortunes have turned since the World Cup break.

Nacho had started six successive matches in La Liga before initially being benched against Liverpool, yet his performance after coming on suggested that he could still play a major role at Real Madrid if he signs his new contract.