Centre-back seems to have appeared as an area of need for Real Madrid in recent times. Eder Militao is out with a long-term injury after tearing his ACL in the first match of the season against Athletic Bilbao. It is very possible that we might not see him back in action in this campaign at all, which is a major blow for Carlo Ancelotti’s side, as the Brazilian international is probably the best central defender the club have.
On the other hand, the likes of David Alaba, Antonio Rudiger and Nacho Fernandez have not really convinced with their performances on a consistent basis. Also, all three are past 30 years of age and are not getting any better.
So, Real Madrid might need to strengthen at centre-back in the future. And it looks like they have a player from Arsenal in their sights.
As reported by Defensa Central (via The Hard Tackle), Real Madrid are interested in William Saliba. The club would love to have him in their ranks to replace Alaba.
It would not be easy for Real Madrid to sign Saliba though. On one hand, he is believed to have a transfer value of around €100 million. On the other hand, Arsenal are not expected to be keen on the idea of letting one of their most important players leave just when it looks like they are on the verge of building a winning team.
Let’s see how things play out though. It is safe to say that someone like Saliba would be an exceptional long-term signing for Real Madrid if they are able to pull it off.
Of course, the club have been linked with quite a few other centre-backs in recent times as well. And it would be a mistake to overlook the talents of Castilla completely.