Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has said that the rumours linking Vinicius Jr. to Saudi Arabia are nothing but market speculation.
In fact, he assured that the Brazilian will give his best against Atalanta during the UEFA Super Cup.
“It [move to Saudi] is not a threat, we have a lot of quality. I’m sure we can do great things. Vinicius? Nothing. It’s market speculation,” said the manager as quoted by MARCA.
“Speculations, nothing more. He will give his best here, as he has done so far,” he added.
On Atalanta and Mbappe
Real Madrid are all set to challenge the UEFA Europa Leave winners Atalanta for the Super Cup title, and Ancelotti said that he expects this game to be very demanding. After all, they defeated Bayer Leverkusen last season, something that no other team could achieve.
“We are looking forward to it. It will be very demanding from the start. We are doing well.
“There is a lot of responsibility in winning [this title]. We have the best players.”
Speaking further, the manager assured that new signing Kylian Mbappe has arrived at the club in good shape and will be available for selection.
“Mbappe has arrived well. We haven’t had time but we are doing very well and he has arrived in good shape. Everyone who is here can play tomorrow.
“We have our project. A high-quality squad. We are working towards this. Important players have arrived who have to adapt. The collective attitude is key.
“It’s very healthy, very clean. And that’s what we want to achieve this season. There are no princes or kings, but a group.”
Meanwhile, the manager did not give much clarity on the future of Andriy Lunin, saying, “We have the best goalkeepers, forwards, defenders, midfielders. He is part of our team.”
Thoughts on player congestion
It is a known fact that Ancelotti will have problems in selecting his attack as well as midfield unit. Amidst this headache, the manager joked that this issue has ruined his holidays.
“This problem has ruined my holidays (laughs). When a player is good, he will play and contribute. This problem does not exist because we have a lot of games. Last year, those who played less contributed a lot.”
The manager also gave his thoughts on Toni Kroos’ departure, adding, “He decided to leave and we respect his decision. It’s difficult to replace him. There are players with qualities like Valverde or Camavinga. Our style adapts to the players we have.”
Real Madrid have a jam-packed schedule this season and when asked about the fixture congestion, the manager said, “What the players think is the most important thing. They have to travel.”