Real Madrid seeks Bayer Leverkusen defender after Militao's injury in contest with Bayern Munich
Real Madrid is seeking to bolster its central defense following Éder Militão’s season-ending injury. However, according to reports in AS, the club has decided against signing a free agent center-back, deeming none currently available to be suitable. This decision effectively rules out a potential return for veteran Sergio Ramos, a move that was reportedly rejected almost unanimously by the club’s leadership.
This leaves manager Carlo Ancelotti with limited experienced options in Antonio Rüdiger and Jesús Vallejo. The latter is considered unlikely to feature prominently.
The club will instead look to integrate promising young players Raúl Asencio, who made his debut and provided an assist in the recent 4-0 victory against Osasuna, and Jacobo Ramón into the first team squad. The club will seemingly focus on developing youth talent in the short term.
Real Madrid’s decision to wait until the next transfer window stems from their desire to avoid a rushed, short-term solution. Reports in AS and Sky suggest that Jonathan Tah of Bayer Leverkusen is under consideration. Tah’s contract expires at the end of the season, potentially allowing for a relatively low transfer fee.
However, Leverkusen has recently ruled out a winter transfer for Tah, suggesting that securing his services might need to wait until next summer. Despite these challenges, agent Pini Zahavi’s recent comments regarding a potential summer transfer to a “big club,” could indicate a willingness to negotiate a move sooner rather than later.
Alternative targets for Real Madrid
AS reports that Tah is not Real Madrid’s top target, considering him a Plan C option. Aymeric Laporte is reportedly the preferred choice but acquiring him from Al-Nassr would require significant salary concessions from the player and a substantial transfer fee, potentially in the range of €15-30 million.
Castello Lukeba of RB Leipzig represents Plan B, although his €90 million release clause could prove prohibitive, and the club is unwilling to pay an exorbitant fee after the recent high-cost transfer of Leny Yoro.
Another potential candidate mentioned by Marca is Mario Hermoso, currently playing in Italy, who may be open to returning to La Liga. His availability from AS Roma, however, may depend on the plans of their incoming manager. Ultimately, securing a suitable central defender will depend on a combination of factors, including transfer fees and the willingness of the potential transfer targets to make a change.