Nacho Fernandez is determined to stay and sign a new contract at La Liga champions Real Madrid despite Julen Lopetegui’s desire to secure a reunion with the Spain international at Wolves, according to AS.
A remarkable tally of 19 trophies, including five Champions League winners’ medals, is still not enough to satisfy Nacho’s insatiable appetite in arguably football’s most iconic kit.
Only four players in Real Madrid’s storied history have spent their entire professional careers with Los Blancos. Nacho, however, is determined to turn four into five; a man who joined the La Fabrica academy in 2001 before making his La Liga debut a decade later hoping to follow Chendo, Manuel Sanchis, Jose Antonio Camacho and a certain Santiago Bernabeu (yes, he is who you think he is) into the Real history books.
Nacho Fernandez dreaming of new contract with Real Madrid
According to AS, new Wolverhampton Wanderers coach Lopetegui is keen to reunite with a defender he worked with during that short-lived spell at Madrid and during his time with the Spanish national team. Serie A giants AC Milan and Roma are also keen.
So too a number of MLS clubs, including David Beckham’s Inter Miami.
Nacho’s current contract expires next summer. The soon-to-be 33-year-old centre-back is willing to ‘make every effort’ to secure himself an extension, however. He and his family are happy in the Spanish capital.
Nacho has started only four games in all competitions for Real Madrid this term. He is also not part of Luis Enrique’s 26-man Spain squad for the Qatar World Cup. Life in the shadows is nothing new to Nacho, however; an old-school ‘squad man’ content to play a backseat role at the club of his dreams.
And who said loyalty is dead in modern football?
According to Sport, Wolves’ Midland neighbours Aston Villa are also keeping tabs on Nacho’s situation. Unai Emery, who also has his sights set on Pau Torres, tried to sign Nacho during his time at Villarreal.
The ball, of course, is in Real Madrid’s court. It is up to the club to offer Nacho a new deal. And, so far, they are yet to do so. But his loyalty, popularity and remarkable versatility surely makes retaining one of the most dependable and inexperienced members of Ancelotti’s squad something of a no-brainer.
“(Eder) Militao and (David) Alaba are top, top centre-backs. And that makes everything easier. Also Nacho, I love playing with him,” Real team-mate Antonio Rudiger told AS recently.
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