Real Madrid News
Real Madrid rule out move for Serie A defender due to injury – Romano
Real Madrid’s search for a new defender has intensified, especially following Eder Militao’s fresh ACL injury.
The Brazilian has been ruled out until the end of the season, leaving Carlo Ancelotti with minimal options in central defence.
Real Madrid, therefore, are likely to go after a new centre-back in the upcoming January transfer window.
Bremer was an option for Real Madrid
While Real Madrid have been widely linked with moves for Jonathan Tah and Aymeric Laporte, the club has also considered the possibility of signing Gleison Bremer.
This is according to Fabrizio Romano, who suggests that the Juventus centre-back was an option for Real Madrid.
Formerly of Torino, Bremer has been a part of the Juventus side since 2022. Since then, he has featured in almost 100 competitive matches for the club, establishing himself as a defensive lynchpin.
It appears the reigning European champions knew about a special clause that was present in the Brazilian’s contract at Juve.
Why did Real Madrid drop the idea?
Romano, though, adds that Real Madrid have dropped the idea of signing Bremer, mainly due to the player’s injury.
Bremer picked up an ACL injury earlier this season and is not expected to be back until the end of the season.
Therefore, nothing is expected to formulate between Real Madrid and Juventus, as far as the Bremer deal is concerned.
Real Madrid, though, are actively searching for other options in the market. As mentioned earlier, Tah has emerged as a potential target for Los Blancos, as they look to shore up their ranks in the defensive unit.
Real Madrid prospect Alexis Ciria will have to wait for his Champions League opportunity despite making a strong impression on Jose Mourinho during pre-season.
The Castilla winger has been left out of Real Madrid’s European squad, but the decision is the consequence of UEFA registration rules rather than a sporting judgment.
According to journalist Arancha Rodriguez (h/t Defensa Central), Ciria was not eligible for Madrid’s List B because he has not been with the club long enough to satisfy UEFA’s requirements.
Registering him would therefore have required Mourinho to include him on the more restrictive List A.
UEFA rules work against Ciria
List B provides clubs with additional flexibility to register young academy players, but being young enough is not sufficient on its own.
Players must also meet requirements concerning how long they have been eligible to represent the club.
Ciria does not meet those conditions because of his limited time at Valdebebas. Real Madrid would therefore have needed to sacrifice a List A position to register him.
With those places required for members of Mourinho’s senior squad, Ciria was ultimately left out.
Real Madrid’s List B instead includes youngsters such as Joan Martinez, Mario Rivas, Thiago Pitarch, Jorge Cestero and Daniel Yanez.
Many of these youngsters made a name for themselves under Mourinho during pre-season and could be used to make up the numbers in the Champions League squad.
They could also get some minutes off the bench, especially against relatively easier opposition, as Jose Mourinho looks to manage first-team minutes.
Mourinho still plans first-team opportunity
Importantly for Ciria, missing the Champions League squad does not appear to reflect a change in Mourinho’s opinion of him.
The youngster impressed during pre-season and is expected to continue spending time around the senior team.
Mourinho intends to give Ciria his official first-team debut during the season. That opportunity will now have to arrive in La Liga or the Copa del Rey.
The Portuguese tactician placed a lot of emphasis on trusting Castilla players during pre-season in the absence of first-team stars.
Ciria was one of the many names who made a name for themselves at Real Madrid during pre-season. He deserves a chance in the first team, and it remains to be seen how Jose plans his development.
