Real Madrid Transfers: Ranking the top 5 young center back targets in 2021

1. Sevilla CB Jules Kounde

I understand he’s going to be very expensive and will most likely be out of Real Madrid’s price range. Even Manchester United fans, who are more desperate for a center back, are worried about him being too pricy for them.

Jules Kounde, though, is worth keeping in mind as the dream target in central defense and should remain ranked first in all of these kinds of lists. He is already a fantastic ball-playing center back who plays so calmly that you could easily mistake him and not Diego Carlos as the veteran of the talented center back pairing in Seville.

Sevilla did so well to sign Kounde from Bourdeaux and invest in this special talent early. Now, they can sell him to an elite club in Europe for somewhere closer to 100 million euros than 50 million.

So while Kounde is an unlikely Real Madrid signing for the price, his quality has made him a fan favorite pick. Kounde is one of the most intelligent defenders in LaLiga despite being 22, and he rarely makes positional errors or misreads play. He is very disciplined, adept at tracking runners, and brilliant at cutting passing lanes.

Beyond that, he has shown the ability to impact the offensive game in the way Real would want. He can score goals, even headers despite his short frame, and play teasing passes forward. Real Madrid will be tracking him in case they can get a stroke of good fortune.