The two future central defenders that Ancelotti is following

Diego Medina | 21 Sep 2024 | 18.30

Carlo Ancelotti, coach of Real Madrid, with his sights set on Yarek.

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Real Madrid started the 2024-25 season with a notable shortage of center-backs, a situation that has raised concern among the club's followers. With Éder Militao and Antonio Rüdiger as key pieces in defense, and David Alaba still recovering from a cruciate ligament injury, the defensive line-up of the white ensemble appears limited. Furthermore, even though there is a fourth center-back in the squad like Vallejo, his relevance is minimal as he does not have the trust of Carlo Ancelotti.

During the summer transfer window, Madrid attempted to strengthen their defense, but to no avail. The club explored several options, none of which convinced enough. Faced with a lack of clear alternatives, Ancelotti expressed openness to using other players in that position, such as Aurélien Tchouaméni or Dani Carvajal, and also turning to the youth academy. Young Joan Martínez, who impressed during preseason, suffered a serious injury, so his opportunity will have to wait. In the meantime, Jacobo Ramón from Castilla is emerging as the fourth center-back, although a muscle injury has delayed his debut this season.

One of Madrid's major bets was Leny Yoro, a young French center-back from Lille, but ultimately Manchester United took the lead in the race for his signing. The English club offered a significantly higher amount to Lille and an annual wage of nine million for the player, an offer Madrid was not willing to match. This outcome has also caused tensions with agent Jorge Mendes, whose relationship with Madrid is currently strained.

Vitor Reis and Yarek catch Florentino Pérez's eye

Looking ahead, Real Madrid continues to search for young talents to strengthen their defense. Among the names being mentioned are Vitor Reis, a Brazilian center-back from Palmeiras considered one of the most promising in South America, and Yarek, a left-sided defender from Valencia with great potential and elite experience. Both players fit the club's strategy of betting on young talents, as they did with Endrick, Vinicius, or Camavinga.

Madrid aims to secure their defense for the long term, and while veterans Rüdiger and Alaba remain crucial, the idea is to find a young center-back who can learn from them and take on responsibilities in the future.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Los dos centrales de futuro que sigue Ancelotti

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