Real Madrid News
Manchester City, PSG attentive to the situation of €50 million Real Madrid defender
In recent days, there has been a lot of speculation about Real Madrid wanting to reinforce their full-back positions in the coming transfer windows.
With Dani Carvajal in his thirties and having fitness problems, it makes sense for Los Blancos to bring in a long-term replacement who can be groomed to take over in a couple of years.
As for the left-back slot, Real Madrid have Ferland Mendy, who at 27, is still in his prime years and has a contract with the club that runs until 2025.
However, recent reports suggest that officials within the club are not entirely convinced about the Frenchman, who does leave a lot to be desired when it comes to his attacking abilities.
At the same time, talks over a new deal for the Frenchman have not taken place leading to speculations that Real Madrid might be open to offloading him if the right offer arrives.
Amidst this, SPORT is now reporting that Manchester City and PSG are keeping a close watch on the situation of Mendy at Real Madrid and would be interested in signing him.
City boss Pep Guardiola has been using Joao Cancelo at left-back for a while now. While the club did sign Sergio Gomez in the summer, he is still lacking in experience at the highest level, which could force the Premier League champions into the market for another left-sided full-back.
Meanwhile, PSG boss Christophe Galtier is said to be not convinced by either Juan Bernat or Portuguese prodigy Nuno Mendes. Hence, the two teams are keeping tabs on the situation of Mendy.
Real Madrid, for their part, have their sights set on a new left-back, with names like Fran Garcia and Alphonso Davies doing the rounds. Hence, the report states that they would be open to selling Mendy as long as they can recoup the €50 million they spent on his signing in 2019.
It will certainly be interesting to see if there is any movement with regard to Mendy in the summer as PSG and Manchester City lurk.
According to MARCA, Eder Militao is seen as the undisputed leader of the Real Madrid defence, thanks to his ‘impeccable’ level of performances. The 25-year-old’s standing in the team has forced a duel between David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger for the second centre-back slot.
Militao arrived at Real Madrid in the summer of 2019, joining from FC Porto in a deal worth €50 million. While he made a slow start to life in Spain, the Brazilian slowly grew in stature from his second season at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Following the exits of Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane, Militao established himself as a permanent fixture in the backline for the Merengues and was a standout performer last season as they won the La Liga title and the UEFA Champions League trophy.
The 25-year-old has carried on in the same vein of form this season as well, featuring in 35 matches across all competitions for Real Madrid, even chipping in with six goals.
The Brazilian international is seen as one of the best centre-backs in the world currently, with Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti sharing that opinion.
“I may lose credibility if I say Vinicius and Militão are the best striker and defender in the world respectively but it’s the truth. I am honest. Militão lacks nothing,” he had said last month.
Militao is not only viewed as the leader of the Real Madrid defence, but has also grown into a leader within the locker room as well, with the player being loved and fully supported by his teammates.
Militao’s presence has meant that Alaba and Rudiger have had to battle it out for the lone centre-back slot. The former had enjoyed a stunning season last time out after joining from Bayern Munich in 2021, but has struggled with injuries and fitness problems this term.
As for Rudiger, the German arrived last summer from Chelsea and started out slow, but has grown in confidence and stature, especially in recent months. So much so that, his signing is already being regarded as a success within the club.
In Militao, Real Madrid undoubtedly have a long-term fixture at the heart of the defence. But with Rudiger and Alaba in their thirties, the Merengues must look to bring in one more player who can take over from them in the near future and can form a partnership with Militao.
