Real Madrid are putting a good part of the season on the line tonight at the Santiago Bernabéu as they host Arsenal. An Arsenal side that put them on the road to the semifinals after being far superior to the Whites at the Emirates and winning convincingly 3-0 with goals from Declan Rice from a set piece and Mikel Merino. The Whites are hoping to make the Santiago Bernabéu work for them and stage a magical comeback.
A comeback in which the team will have to improve several aspects of what was seen at the Emirates, starting with the attacking connection between Vinicius and Mbappé and also the return of the Ceballos compass which is expected to be the perfect secret weapon. In addition, and without a doubt the most sensitive point, improving the performance at the back.
One of the burdens that Real Madrid has carried has been a weak defense. The bleeding has been a constant this season. Against Leganés it was the first clean sheet in recent weeks, before that they had conceded 9 goals in just three games. The doubts about the defensive line, which the club did not want to reinforce in January, have left open the option of reinforcing the defense in the summer market. The first step would be the arrival of Trent Alexander-Arnold at full-back, but they are also considering signing for the center of the defense.
Youth is sought
After the great performance shown by Asencio since his incursion into the white defense from the youth ranks, added to the irregularity of veterans Rüdiger and Alaba, which has given rise to speculation about their future, the door is open to the search for reinforcements with the clear objective of rejuvenating the defense for the coming seasons.
In this sense, names have been mentioned with the common denominator of youth: Dean Huijsen, 19 years old; Branthwaite, 22 years old; Castello Lukeba, 22 years old; William Saliba, 24 years old; Ibrahima Konaté, 25 years old; and Jorrel Hato, 20 years old.
A favourite with a condition
Dean Huijsen is Real Madrid’s favorite name in this sense. The center back, who has made his mark at Bournemouth, is considered a future option. His aerial play, speed and good footwork make him an ideal profile to cover the defensive line of the white team in the medium and long term.
Real Madrid are aware that Spanish centre-back Dean Huijsen wants to play at the Santiago Bernabéu next season and they are willing to make that happen, but not at any price. According to sources at Grada3, the club is clear that they are not willing to pay more than 40 million euros to begin with, despite being well aware of the competition for the player. For the moment they are not going to rush and are still looking for options; in addition to having to define the future on the bench…
New candidate on the horizon
In the last few hours the name of Antonio Silva, a player managed by Jorge Mendes, has emerged. This information has been revealed by the website ‘fichajes.net’, which has stated the following: “Real Madrid have started to set their sights on Antonio Silva, a promising 21-year-old defender who plays for Benfica. They will listen to offers of up to 35 million euros”.
A new name on Real Madrid’s radar who, according to the aforementioned source, has already made his move by establishing contact with Benfica: “The merengues are said to have offered 26 million euros fixed plus 4 million in variables, a package that could bring the deal closer, but is still far from the figure requested by Benfica.”