Rennes president Nicolas Holveck has ruled out a summer exit for midfield sensation Eduardo Camavinga, who is a top transfer target for Real Madrid.
As reported by Spanish publication MARCA, Real Madrid have been dealt a major blow in their pursuit of French midfield sensation Eduardo Camavinga. The 17-year-old starlet will not be leaving Rennes this summer, according to club president Nicolas Holveck.
Camavinga rose rapidly through the youth ranks at Rennes and had become a regular for the reserves by January last year, aged just 16. Impressed by his growth, manager Julien Stephan handed the young defensive midfielder his first-team debut in April 2019 and the teenager hasn’t looked back since.
The 2019/20 campaign has seen Camavinga establish himself as one of the best holding midfielders in the French top-flight. The 17-year-old finished the curtailed campaign with 25 Ligue 1 appearances, 24 of which were from the start, contributing with a goal and two assists.
Camavinga, playing as the team’s No. 6, has shown great maturity that belies his tender age. The fact that Rennes boast the joint second-best defensive record in the French top-flight is partly down to the youngster’s performances. A ball-winning midfielder with a tough-tackling nature, the teenager finished the season with 105 tackles – the most in the Ligue 1 in 2019/20.
Camavinga’s brilliant exploits led to Real Madrid taking a keen interest in him. Los Blancos, while having a well-stocked midfield department, lack any sort of cover for Casemiro in the holding midfield role. And that is something that manager Zinedine Zidane is intent on addressing before the next season kicks off.
Camavinga, to that end, had emerged as a priority target for Real Madrid, with the club even willing to splash €50 million for the teenager. However, the Merengues have now been dealt a blow in their pursuit of the midfield sensation, as Rennes president Nicolas Holveck has claimed that Camavinga will not be sold this summer.
“We have agreed with Eduardo that he will stay with us next season. He is a smart player and he knows where his sporting interest would be best served at the moment. Irrespective of that, we haven’t actually received any offers for him,” Holveck has said, as quoted by MARCA.
Camavinga, given his age and potential, would have been just the perfect addition for Real Madrid. The youngster would have provided valuable cover for Casemiro, before eventually taking over from the Brazilian a few years down the line. However, a move to the Bernabeu this summer seems off the table for the youngster.
Real Madrid, as a result, will have to look elsewhere for reinforcements in the holding midfield position. Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante has been mentioned as a target, while the Spanish giants have also been linked with a move for AC Milan midfielder Ismael Bennacer.
