Real Madrid doesn’t have a very big team, and that’s been clear from the start of the season. Federico Valverde and Luka Modric are the only two fit midfielders they have. It’s just as bad on defense, with Antonio Rudiger and Eder Militao as the only natural center-backs who can play until David Alaba comes back from his ACL injury, which might not be until 2025.
Real Madrid has had trouble with their central defense since the beginning of last season. A lot of the time in 2023–24, Carlo Ancelotti only had Rudiger and Nacho Fernandez as choices. This meant that Aurelien Tchouameni had to be brought in more than once. They will want to avoid this in the long run.
In the summer, Real Madrid tried to sign Leny Yoro but failed because the youngster chose to join Manchester United. Strangely, an alternative wasn’t looked for, so the problem will probably be looked at again in 2025.
It will be interesting to see who, if anyone, is being chased when that time comes. The best choice would be a player who can be used for a long time like Yoro would have been. You should know that Rudiger and Alaba are both getting close to 30 years old, so they will need to be replaced in the next few years. A new center-back is needed anyway.
There has been talk about signing William Saliba lately, and Real Madrid would be very lucky to have him. This player is a great candidate for a move because he is young, not well-known yet, and can still get better.
He would cost a lot, which is the only trouble. Reports say that Arsenal would want more than €120m for him. If Real Madrid paid a little more than this, it would make him their record deal, beating Eden Hazard’s price tag of around €120m.
It would be a no-brainer if Real Madrid had the money to pay this and could come to an agreement with Saliba on personal terms. He is already one of the world’s best central defenders, and in a few years, he will be playing by himself. Everyone who works for Los Blancos will know this.
It makes sense that Saliba would be much more expensive than someone like Yoro since he is more well-known. Real Madrid can, however, afford to sign him since they haven’t spent much this summer. Surely spending a lot of money would be worth it?
