Liverpool enter race for Lewy; Ancelotti accepts blame for Barcelona defeat

Real Madrid succumbed to a shock 0-4 defeat againstBarcelona on Sunday in La Liga. The loss saw Los Blancos' lead atop the league table cut to nine points.

Meanwhile, Liverpool have entered the race to sign Robert Lewandowski. Elsewhere, Blancos manager Carlo Ancelotti has taken the blame for the El Clasico defeat.

On that note, here's a look at the key Real Madrid transfer stories as on 21st March 2022:

Liverpool enter race for Robert Lewandowski

Liverpool have entered the race to sign Robert Lewandowski, according to The Hard Tackle via Fichajes. The Polish international continues to be one of the finest strikers in the world at the moment. Real Madrid have the 33-year-old on their wishlist.

Lewandowski first rose to prominence at Borussia Dortmund. His exploits at Signal Iduna Park earned him a high-profile move to Bayern Munich in 2014, albeit on a free transfer. The Polish striker has since hit a higher gear and has been integral to the Bavarians’ success. However, his current contract is set to expire next summer, and the Bundesliga giants are yet to initiate talks for an extension.

Los Blancos are planning to make the most of the situation and bring the Pole to the Santiago Bernabeu. Ancelotti is looking to add a new number nine to his squad this summer. Karim Benzema has been in super form so far, but he is at the tail end of his career. The La Liga giants had originally identified Erling Haaland as the ideal successor to the Frenchman.

However, the Norwegian is expected to ignite a melee for his services this summer. Real Madrid have identified Lewandowski as a part of their contingency plan in case they miss out on Haaland. The Polish striker has already plundered 45 goals and set up four more in 37 games this season. Ancelotti believes the 33-year-old could be a great stop-gap option to indulge in.

However, Liverpool are also interested in Lewandowski. The Reds have been firing on all cylinders under Jurgen Klopp. However, they lack a proper number nine in the squad. The German manager wants to address that by roping in the Polish striker. Liverpool have reportedly tabled a €70 million bid for the 33-year-old, who has been offered a contract worth €20 million per year.

Atletico Madrid and Barcelona are also interested in Lewandowski's services, along with Los Blancos. However, the La Liga trio are unlikely to match Liverpool's offer for the player.

Carlo Ancelotti accepts blame for Barcelona defeat

Carlo Ancelotti has taken the blame for Real Madrid’s defeat against Barcelona on Sunday. Los Blancos were dominated at the Santiago Bernabeu by the Blaugrana, who picked up a memorable 4-0 win.

Speaking after the game, as quoted by Marca, the Italian admitted that his team approached the game wrongly.

“We were not recognisable; everything went wrong. I told the players that (the defeat) was my fault. I don't understand it, but I'm not going into it because I don't want to make excuses. We played very badly, and we approached the game very badly,” said Ancelotti.

The manager continued:

“We have time to gather our energy and prepare for the last two months of the season to win trophies. We would have done what we needed to do so far: nine points ahead of (Sevilla in) second and into the quarter-finals of the Champions League. I'm very sad about the defeat; I'm sorry for the fans, but I have to be calm."

Despite the win, the Blaugrana are 12 points behind leaders Madrid but have a game in hand.

Joining Real Madrid is Kylian Mbappe's childhood dream

Former Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev has said that it is Kylian Mbappe’s childhood dream to play for Real Madrid. The 23-year-old is tipped to join Los Blancos this summer after his current contract with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) expires.

Speaking in a recent interview, Vasilyev also said that Mbappe has room for further improvement.

“It was never a mystery that Real Madrid is the club of his childhood dreams. There will be people for and others against his signing for Madrid, but in any case, he will make the right choice in full agreement with his parents, who manage his career in an exemplary manner. Kylian makes the difference in every game,” said Vasilyev.

He continued:

“He still has room for improvement and will go all the way to the top. I would put him at the heart of the project by making him understand its full importance."

Mbappe (158) recently overtook Zlatan Ibrahimovic (156) to become PSG's second-most prolific scorer. That includes 26 strikes across competitions this season as the Parisians look set to win their eighth Ligue 1 title in ten years. However, he is all set to join Real Madrid on a free transfer at the end of the season.