Real Madrid have returned to the drawing board after missing out on the signing of Leny Yoro, their top target to reinforce their options in the centre of defence. Los Blancos had hoped that the 18-year-old would reject Manchester United’s advances, but he did not, and he’s now poised to sign for them in the coming days.
Despite this, Real Madrid do not intend to be reactive. Marca have detailed the club’s plans for the centre-back position, and as of right now, there is no urgency for another player to be signed. They are prepared to stick with Antonio Rudiger and Eder Militao as their first-choice options, and there is existing cover.
Aurelien Tchouameni filled in at centre-back on numerous occasions last summer, and Carlo Ancelotti will use the midfielder there again when necessary. Furthermore, Jesus Vallejo is now expected to stay, and he would be another option.
Real Madrid are relaxed about the situation, and they’re using last summer as a reason for not panicking. No replacement was signed for Karim Benzema on that occasion, with Joselu Mato initially arriving as a depth option – despite this, Los Blancos walked away with La Liga and Champions League titles.
It will be very interesting to see whether this strategy pays off for Real Madrid. They managed to survive with only two natural centre-backs for the majority of last season, so there’s evidence to show that it can be done again. Nevertheless, it will place a lot of strain on Rudiger and Militao – especially the latter, who tore his ACL less than a year ago.
