Real Madrid join Barcelona in race for €50m defender

Real Madrid are expected to address their defensive options in the summer, and signings could happen across all three positions in the backline. Trent Alexander-Arnold is wanted as the new starting right-back, and while there has been numerous names linked in the centre of defence, the situation is equally unclear on the left side.

For many months, Real Madrid have been tracking Alphonso Davies, whom they want to sign for free at the end of the season when his Bayern Munich contract expires. However, the chances of this happening appear to be slim, as the latest updates suggest that the Canadian international will be staying in Bavaria.

As such, other options will need to be considered by Real Madrid. They have been strongly linked with Miguel Gutierrez, whom they can re-sign from Girona for only €8m, while another player on their shortlist is Alvaro Carreras.

According to Diario AS, Real Madrid are keen on Carreras, who has also been linked with Barcelona and Manchester United in recent weeks. At 21, he fits perfectly into the transfer policy that has been adopted at the Santiago Bernabeu in recent years.

However, the report goes on to say that Carreras, who played in Benfica’s 5-4 Champions League defeat to Barcelona earlier this week, does not consider leaving the Portuguese giants anytime soon, and given that he is under contract until 2029, it would not be easy for any club to take him, despite a reported €50m asking price having been established.

There is no doubt that Carreras would be a very good signing for Real Madrid, and it would also increase the number of Spanish players in the first team squad, which is something that the board wants to do over the coming years. However, when taking this into account, Gutierrez is the obvious signing, considering that he is considerably cheaper, and their levels are not too dissimilar.