Cadena SER reports that Real Madrid’s management has begun taking steps to finalize the signing of a new defender as quickly as possible.
Real Madrid’s defense has been clearly struggling in the last year, and the expected departures of David Alaba and Antonio Rüdiger next summer necessitate the acquisition of a world-class defender to partner Denis Hoesen, Éder Militão, and Raúl Asensio.
According to the latest report, Real Madrid has identified three names to add to Raúl Arbeloa’s squad next summer, as Florentino Pérez’s administration insists on maintaining the status quo this season without making any new signings in the winter transfer window.
The preferred name is Dayot Upamecano, and it is assumed that Real Madrid has already made moves towards him in recent days, especially given Bayern Munich’s recent lucrative contract renewal offer.
Upamecano has yet to decide whether to accept Bayern Munich’s offer or move to Real Madrid, leaving the club to explore other alternative options.
Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konaté is one of the names being mentioned, but there are serious doubts about his abilities, especially given his significantly poor form this season with the Reds.
The third name wasn’t specified by Cadena SER, but the renowned network indicated it’s a defender in the Bundesliga, making it most likely Nico Schlotterbeck, whose contract with Borussia Dortmund expires in the summer of 2027.
Barcelona withdrew from the Schlotterbeck deal for technical reasons, while Bild reported that the player dreams of joining Real Madrid. However, things will be complicated due to Dortmund’s high asking price, unlike Upamecano and Konaté, whose contracts expire next summer.
