Real Madrid News
Real Madrid set sights on Tottenham mainstay valued at €80 million – report
Real Madrid, in all certainty, will enter the market next summer for defensive reinforcements at centre-back despite splurging on Dean Huijsen recently.
David Alaba’s contract expires at the end of the season and is unlikely to be renewed, given his recent injury woes.
Antonio Rudiger also finds himself in a similar situation as the Austrian and his future could depend on how he returns from his latest injury setback.
Either way, Real Madrid will try to secure at least one new central defender in the summer and have already identified several potential targets.
Micky van de Ven on Real Madrid’s radar
Now, according to Fichajes, Real Madrid have identified Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven as a key target to reinforce their backline.
Since arriving from VfL Wolfsburg in 2023, the 24-year-old has firmly established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League.
An all-round defender with physical strength, speed, anticipation, and ball-playing abilities, van de Ven ticks most boxes for Real Madrid, who have had very positive scouting reports on the Dutchman.
However, the signing of van de Ven will not be simple. Tottenham regard the Dutchman as a strategic asset and value him at around €80 million.
It is a high figure, but one that Real Madrid could afford, given their preference for players offering both immediate impact and future potential.
As per the report, the player’s entourage views Real Madrid’s interest positively. But any move would hinge on Spurs’ willingness to negotiate.
It must be noted that Real Madrid also have their sights on Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate, who will be available for free in the summer, while Dayot Upamecano, another potential free agent, is also on their shortlist.
Real Madrid’s adventure so far under new coach Jose Mourinho has been far from perfect and this fact shouldn’t be lost even after the team’s brilliant comeback win over AS Roma in midweek.
However, there are areas where Los Blancos have shown a clear improvement under Mourinho, when compared to previous bosses such as Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa.
One of those areas has been set plays, with Real Madrid appearing far more potent from set pieces this season.
A clear improvement from last season
As reported by Diario AS, the three goals in Rome, all from Arda Guler corners inside a seven-minute blitz, were the perfect advert for the work being done at Valdebebas.
Those strikes took Real Madrid’s set-piece tally to seven goals in just ten matches this season. Four of them have come in La Liga, one from a corner and three from free kicks, with the trio in Rome completing the haul.
It is a striking figure when set against last season’s return. Under Alonso and Arbeloa, Madrid managed 12 set-piece goals across the entire campaign, all in La Liga, split evenly between six from corners and six from free kicks.
On current trends, this side looks well placed to surpass that number comfortably.
The reason behind Real Madrid’s improvement
Attacking set pieces are led at Valdebebas by Pedro Machado, with the whole coaching staff involved and Mourinho himself giving the final green light on every routine.
Defending them, meanwhile, falls to Sami Khedira, though it is treated as a collective effort. Mourinho’s appreciation of that teamwork was clear when Bellingham headed in a Guler free kick against Espanyol, prompting the manager to leap up and embrace his assistants.
Machado, one of Mourinho’s most trusted lieutenants, has followed him from Fenerbahce to Benfica and now Madrid, part of a backroom team blending experience with young, ambitious talent.
On the pitch, Guler is the undisputed master when available, his left foot the key weapon, with Bernardo Silva, Trent Alexander-Arnold and even Diomande also trusted to initiate attacks.
Such meticulous strategy has helped Real Madrid turn into a potent side from set-pieces this season.
