Real Madrid are in trouble at the moment. Their results have been superb this season but players continue to suffer injuries left, right and centre. That has left a squad that was already lacking squad depth stretched. And it would be ideal is Los Blancos signed another centre-back in the January transfer window.
David Alaba tore his ACL in the game against Villarreal and will be out for the rest of the season. He becomes the third Real Madrid player to suffer that injury in this campaign, after Thibaut Courtois and Eder Militao.
Alaba's absence means that Real Madrid are left with two options at centre-back, Antonio Rudiger and Nacho Fernandez. Aurelien Tchouameni can play there if the situation calls for it.
In similar situations, Real Madrid have opted to go for short-term fixes. Could they end up signing a long-term centre-back this time around though?
Real Madrid most interested in €100 million centre-back
The club have been linked with a number of centre-backs. As reported by MARCA, the one who Real Madrid like the most is none other than Benfica's Antonio Silva.
It is not hard to see why. Silva fits Real Madrid's transfer policy like a glove. At just 20 years of age, he is an integral part of Benfica's first-team and part of the Portugal national team as well.
Benfica always seem to be open to the idea of parting ways with their best players. But for significant transfer fees.
There is believed to be a release clause around €100 million in Silva's current deal. It remains to be seen if Real Madrid end up making a move of that magnitude to sign a centre-back in January. To be honest, it feels unlikely. It is much more likely for the club to look for a short-term solution until the end of the season before going for an elite player in the summer.