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One of the main priorities of Real Madrid this past summer was to reinforce the defense. The backline had been leaking in goals during the dying days of Carlo Ancelotti's tenure and as a result the club heavily invested in defenders during the summer. The club brought in all of Alvaro Carreras, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Dean Huijsen, hoping these three would be the solution the team needed.
However, not all issues have been solved even with all the summer signings. The backline still looks rocky and disorganized and as a result, Real are keeping their eyes on the transfer market as they look for their next defensive signing. With Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba looking set to leave on free transfers, and Eder Militao and Dean Huijsen struggling with injuries, the clubs priority is to sign a central defender.
Real has had their eyes on a number of potential targets this season, with particularly strong links to Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate and Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano. However, unfortunately for Real Madrid, Upamecano has agreed a new extension with Bayern effectively taking him off Real's list of potential summer signings.
As a reult the club now have to look elsewhere for their next long-term center-back signing, and they've drawn up a shortlist of a number of defenders all of which have very different profiles.
Real Madrid's four-man defender shortlist revealed
As being reported by The Madrid Zone on X, Real Madrid have a four man shortlist of center-back targets following Dayot Upamecano's extension with Bayern Munich. The list include, Borussia Dortmund's Nico Schlotterbeck, Sporting CP's Goncalo Inacio, Benfica's Antonio Silva, and Atalanta's Giorgio Scalvini.
Each players has their own pros and cons to signing them and of the four their is one that stands heads and shoulders above the others. Antonio Silva, while a solid defender, is prone to errors in big moments, and at a club like Real Madrid the pressure may be too much for him to handle. Scalvini struggles with injuires and with all the injuries Real already deal with in the backline, they don't need to add another player who is always hurt. And when it comes to Inacio, he is a reliable player and a solid defender, but he just signed a new long-term contarct with Sporting, making any move for him difficult.
That leaves Schlotterbeck, and he is far and away the best option Real Madrid could sign. While he is the oldest of the options at 26-years-old, he's tall, quick, physical, a great leader, and a threat for set pieces which is becoming more and more crucial in the modern game. He also bring and intensity and leadership Real have been lacking in the backline since the departure of Sergio Ramos.
Any move for the German would cost in the range of €60 million, but in todays market, that is a steal of a deal for a player the level of Schlotterbeck. Who exactly Real will sign in the summer remains up in the air, but it id of the utmost priority to get one or more of these deals done quickly during the summer.