Possible replacements from other clubs aren’t that feasible
If Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane both leave, the centre-back roster will include only Eder MIlitao, Nacho Fernandez and David Alaba. Since Militao is an RCB, the same position in which Rapha Varane plays. So we can assume him to become the starter once the Frenchman leaves, and he has shown that he has enough quality to do so.
But in Sergio Ramos case, there will be a lot of doubts. Ever since he was transformed into a full-time centre-back from a right-back, by Jose Mourinho, he has been playing at a world-class level for Real Madrid and as I mentioned previously, he became an all-time great in his position. He has set the bar so high that, I feel David Alaba and Nacho might find it difficult to reach that level.
Nacho had a great season in 2020/21 following a disappointing 2019/20 campaign, but he is 31 and he wouldn’t be a long-term prospect. Alaba is a versatile player, but I don’t see him as someone who can stabilise Real Madrid’s defence like Ramos did. He is a committed professional, but I feel that he might be a downgrade from Ramos, despite his supreme ball-playing abilities and great recovery speed.
And since there will be only three centre-backs left, Real Madrid would need to get another centre-back, preferably a top-class CB. While Jesus Vallejo has regressed at Granada and isn’t currently at the level required to play for Real Madrid, Castilla captain Victor Chust is still pretty young and his contract is going to expire this month. And he has been linked with a move to Real Betis, so we might have to rule him out.
This leads us to the question of getting a central defender from any other club. Three possible options are Pau Torres, Jules Kounde, and Aymeric Laporte. But none of them will come cheap in this inflated transfer market. Pau Torres has a release clause of 65 million euros at Villarreal, and there is a huge competition for Villarreal’s No.4, with heavy interest from Manchester United.
Jules Kounde is another name that has been extensively linked to Real Madrid, but the Frenchman has a release clause of 85 million euros at Sevilla. Since Kounde has openly expressed his desire to leave Sevilla, the price tag may be lowered. But the competition from Chelsea and Barcelona might lead to a bidding war. And above all, he’s an RCB, who plays in the same position as Militao. So he may not be a perfect Ramos replacement.
Another option is the 27-year-old Aymeric Laporte of Manchester City, which is worth more than 50 million euros. The Spanish international is a great centre-back, but he is an injury-prone defender, and he might not be a preferable target.
Right now, Real Madrid is in a financial crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and they are having to sell many players to generate funds to meet Mbappe’s transfer fee, in case a transfer is possible. So getting a high-cost centreback along with an attacking singing, which is more important, may not be feasible for the club. Instead, it is better to renew the captain’s contract, with him still going strong.