SUMMARY
- Real Madrid is set to lose a club legend at the end of the 2023-24 season.
- The Madrid veteran has played over 350 matches for the 'Los Blancos' and has won 20 trophies for the Spanish giants.
Nacho Fernandez has been one of Real Madrid’s most loyal servants. The Spaniard has been at the club all the way since 2011 when he joined the club’s academy.
Nacho has since gone on to etch his name as a legend in the Real Madrid history book, with a resume that could make anybody envious. A revered figure in and around the club, the 34-year-old became a Real Madrid captain in 2023.
🚨⚪️ Nacho has informed Real Madrid of his intention to leave at the end of the season.
The club has been informed, as reported by @jfelixdiaz @marca.
Nacho’s contract expires in June and he’s now really planning to leave as free agent. pic.twitter.com/SGFNtsLu0H
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 19, 2024
However, the Spaniard has finally decided to end his career at ‘Los Blancos.’ Reportedly, Nacho Fernandez has communicated his decision to leave Real Madrid after his contract at the club ends in the summer of 2024.
The Real Madrid fans were at risk of losing Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, or Nacho Fernandez at the end of the 23/24 season. Toni looks all set to stay for one more year and Nacho is leaving, while Modric’s future hangs in balance.
The startling news arrives just days after the Spaniard put on a great display against Manchester City in the 2nd leg of the QFs of the UEFA Champions League 23/24. The 34-year-old did an excellent job keeping Erling Haaland quiet throughout the night as Real Madrid emerged victorious in the second leg on penalties.
Nacho Fernandez has had an illustrious career for Real Madrid
The player joined the Real Madrid academy in 2001 and steadily rose through the ranks at the club. He joined the Real Madrid Castilla in 2009, which is the reserve team of the 14-time UCL winners. Nacho Fernandez was then handed out his senior debut for ‘Los Blancos’ on April 23, 2011, in a La Liga fixture against Valencia.
Nacho Fernandez has never looked back ever since, becoming one of the most decorated players in the club’s history. He has won 5 UCLs, 3 La Liga titles, 5 Club World Cups amongst many other honourable mentions. The 34-year-old is the 3rd most decorated player in Real Madrid history with 23 titles and could improve his tally by winning the UCL and the La Liga title in his final season.
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However, apart from the trophies it was the Spaniard’s undying love for Real Madrid, that made him a fan favorite. Although Nacho made over 350 appearances for the club, he had to be very patient for his chances as he was outshone by more high-profile players.
Yet, the Spaniard never made a big deal about it and put in the hard shift whenever he was asked to. Nacho Fernandez always put his team ahead of himself and played in a variety of positions. Such commitment and loyalty to a club are very precious nowadays, and that is what makes Nacho Fernandez stand out. Real Madrid fans would dearly miss their loyal captain, after his departure.
The two Milan clubs are interested in signing Nacho
The 34-year-old would want to reinvent his career before retiring altogether. One of the important factors in the Spaniard’s selection of a new club would be an assurance of playing time. Nacho Fernandez spent a huge part of his Real Madrid career sitting on the bench, and won’t like a repetition of the same.
And this is where AC Milan and Inter Milan come into the picture. Inter Milan has reportedly started showing its interest after a gap of one year. The club was close to signing Nacho as a free agent last summer, but the Spaniard stayed at Real Madrid after the departure of Karim Benzema paved his way to become the club captain.
🇪🇸 Inter are showing again their strong interest in Nacho as free agent, after they tried to sign him already one year ago. But it’s not easy.
Nacho wants to keep all options open to several clubs — including those outside Europe.
He’s expected to leave Real Madrid in June. pic.twitter.com/E4u6yngbY8
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 19, 2024
Inter Milan, whose financial woes aren’t very unknown is reportedly putting two of its defenders-Alessandro Bastoni and Denzel Dumfries on the market. However, it won’t be easy to sign Nacho as their arch-rivals AC Milan too are showing interest.
Moreover, the 34-year-old might even venture out of Europe for regular soccer. A true icon of Real Madrid, it would be interesting to see how Nacho Fernandez fares outside of Madrid.