Real Madrid have taken huge strides in bolstering their defence this summer, stocking their backline with Premier League talent.
The most notable was Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was set to head to the Bernabeu on a free transfer this summer, before the Spanish giants opted to pay €10m to release the right-back from his contract early so he could travel to the Club World Cup.
He joins former Bournemouth man Dean Huijsen in the capital, along with Alvaro Carreras, who was signed from Benfica but spent significant time in both their own youth setup and that of Manchester United.
Real Madrid target bargain deals from Arsenal and Liverpool
It’s relatively lofty spending from Los Blancos, who have developed a preference for using their pulling power to persuade players to run down their contract in recent years, making deals cheaper to complete.
That was their plan for Leny Yoro before United stormed in last summer, and they’ve now got centre-backs from Arsenal and Liverpool in their sights.
The most groundbreaking target is Arsenal’s top defender, William Saliba, whose contract expires in 2027. The Gunners are reportedly hopeful of agreeing terms.
But Spanish outlet AS report a level of uncertainty to those negotiations, which Madrid hopes to seize on next summer to seal a cut-price deal.
It is similar to what Los Blancos are currently trying to do with Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate, who has entered the final 12 months of his deal and is yet to sign fresh terms.
But according to AS, Liverpool and Arsenal need to remain on high alert, as Madrid ideally want both men, despite their signing of Huijsen this summer.
In FourFourTwo’s opinion, Madrid taking both Frenchmen alongside Huijsen, Raul Asencio, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba feels like a lot.
But this is Madrid, and different rules apply; players will take uncertainty around minutes for the chance to be part of the project.
Liverpool and Arsenal will understand the allure of Madrid, and will know they need to get their contract business sorted quickly if they want to have any chance of holding on to their defenders.
Konate is worth €60m, according to Transfermarkt, while Saliba is valued at €80m.
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