Trent Alexander-Arnold’s deal is done for next summer, and the Whites are looking for a player to fill the void left by Carvajal’s injury.
The January transfer window is approaching, and Real Madrid are one of the teams actively exploring the market in search of reinforcements to strengthen a struggling defense in the second half of the season.
Lucas Vázquez and another reinforcement
The prolonged absence of Dani Carvajal, who will not be available for Ancelotti until the start of next season following a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament and posterior external instability of his right knee, has led Lucas Vázquez to inherit the position of right rear. However, the Galician suffered a muscle injury which forced Carlo Ancelotti to improvise an emergency substitution at Anfield against Liverpool. The Italian coach preferred to move Federico Valverde instead of opting for a local talent like Jesús Fortea, but it was Ancelotti himself who recommended looking for reinforcement for the position.
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Carletto managed to get Lucas Vázquez back to cover the right-back position, a position he occupied last Saturday against Getafe, but he does not want to take any risks that could lead to a similar situation. This is why the club is exploring the market looking for opportunities to strengthen this flank. The club works without pressure, having Valverde as an alternative, but they do not rule out the possibility of a January recruitment to strengthen this side.
Alexander-Arnold in June
The club considers the recruitment of Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold for June to be a done deal. He is set to become a free agent and has rejected renewal offers from the ‘Reds’ as his deal with Real Madrid has been confirmed for months. In this circumstance, the right-back who will arrive at the Bernabéu must be someone who does not involve financial expenses, which is why a loan is the preferred option. Club executives, led by chief scout Juni Calafat and general manager José Ángel Sánchez, are scanning the rosters of big teams for right-backs who are not part of their coaches’ plans and could end up in Madrid using a similar formula to that employed with Manchester City striker Manuel Adebayor, who played on loan at the Bernabéu for six months from January to June 2012.
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Among the names on the list of players being monitored is Pedro Porro, the Spanish international from Tottenham Hotspur who has expressed his desire to return to the Whites. Also appearing is the name of Rayo Vallecano right-back Andrei Ratiu, who has a €25m release clause, but 50% of his fee would go to Villarreal. Both Vallecano and Castellon are open to the operation, but Madrid are reluctant to undertake this investment, knowing that Alexander-Arnold will arrive in the summer.
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Another name linked to the Whites is that of Achraf Hakimi, the Paris Saint-Germain right-back who trained at the Madrid academy. In France, it is widely believed that he will return to Spain when his contract expires in June 2026. In this case, there seems to be more interest from the player than from the Madrid club, although if the player puts pressure , knowing that he will soon be a free agent, this could represent a good opportunity for Florentino and his team.
The reinforcement that will not arrive in January will be that of a central defender, another position where Real Madrid is working to strengthen. The emergence of Raúl Asencio, as well as the conversion of Aurelien Tchouameni into central defender, will respond to the lack of central defenders, with the presence of Antonio Rudiger. What is less clear is the arrival of Canadian international Alphonso Davies. According to information from the German television channel Sport1 in the last few hours, the player is getting closer and closer to renewing with Bayern Munich. The Bavarian club and the player’s agent, Nedal Househ, have apparently negotiated in recent hours to align their positions. Such negotiations would mean a change of plans for Bayern and Real Madrid, who had considered the player a done deal for next summer.
