- 8 hours ago
PSG World Cup star ready to take wage cut to return to Real Madrid
Real Madrid have been told they can sign one of the most influential figures from the 2022 World Cup at a fraction of the wages he is on at his current club.
A report in Spanish outlet Revelo claims that Achraf Hakimi ‘would be delighted’ to return to Real Madrid, the club that he left for Inter Milan in 2020, after helping Morocco reach the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar.
Revelo concedes that a return to Real Madrid ‘will not be easy’ for Hakimi, with his current side Paris Saint-Germain not interested in selling a player who still has three-and-a-half years left on his contract.
BIG MONEY: Hakimi and the most expensive right-backs of all time
Hakimi’s manager at Inter, Antonio Conte, had previously stated that the 24-year-old’s ‘dream’ is to his hometown club where he had been since the age of eight.
The report states that Hakimi ‘would lose money’ to return to Madrid, having previously left for €40 million after being considered a backup to Dani Carvajal under former manager Zinedine Zidane.
Hakimi has since gone onto become one of the best right wing-backs in world football, proving his ability on the global stage at the World Cup as well as in multiple leagues such as the Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1.
Real regrets over Hakimi
Hakimi made just nine La Liga appearances for Real before being sent on a two-year loan to Borussia Dortmund, where he impressed by scoring 12 goals in 73 games across all competitions.
Despite his clear potential, Real raised eyebrows by choosing to cash in on Hakimi, with Inter more than happy to splash the cash on the Moroccan despite their financial concerns.
Hakimi spent just a year in Italy, being named in the league’s team of the year, just as he had done the prior season in Germany, and attracting the attention of PSG, who signed him for around €71m.
While Real have succeeded without Hakimi, some would say the right-back spot is the weakest position in their line-up and the club are searching for a long-term replacement to Carvajal.
VISION: Real's dream team of 2024
However, PSG have no desire to sell an elite player to a club they consider a rival, meaning that Hakimi may have to wait to achieve his dream, while Real consider the nightmare decision they made to let him leave in the first place.