The international break will be good for Real Madrid to recover players, or at least for them to make progress in their recovery, as well as putting to the test the ‘supporting cast’ who have been away with their national teams and will be watching their performance. The Whites are having a difficult season in terms of injuries and rotations and it is more than evident that they will have to turn to the market.
The defense, a headache
All the way up to the break, the most problematic area for the Whites has been the defense, where injuries to players like Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Rudiger, Alaba and Lucas Vázquez have taken their toll. This, added to the poor performance of some of the players, has made it clear that it is necessary to turn to the summer market. A central defender is wanted, and preferably one who will rejuvenate the defense.
The fact is that in the Real Madrid squad Rüdiger turns 32 in March and Alaba 33 in June, which could also be motivating Real Madrid’s sounding out the market for central defenders. In this sense, different names have been mentioned in recent weeks with the common denominator of youth: Dean Huijsen, 19 years old; Branthwaite, 22 years old; Ibrahima Konaté, 25 years old; Castello Lukeba, 22 years old; William Saliba, 24 years old.
No signings for next season
A lot of information has been appearing in recent days about the possible arrival of a central defender at Real Madrid. However, Grada3 confirms that at the moment, the Whites will not be making any signings for next season. Real Madrid’s offices are confident in what they have for next season.
This was confirmed by José Félix Díaz on ‘La Tribu’, on Radio Marca: “Knowing Real Madrid, I don’t think they’ll spend 80 million on a central defender. Alaba and Militao will continue next year if they want to, the club is not going to leave either of them in the lurch. But the role they are going to have is another thing”, said the aforementioned journalist.
David Alaba’s contract ends in 2026 and this season, largely due to his injuries and Asencio’s good work, he has barely played in 9 games. On the other hand, Éder Militao, a 27-year-old central defender who injured his cruciate ligament in the other knee for the second time in November, is now finalizing his recovery.