Real Madrid take a shine to Real Sociedad's Álvaro Odriozola
The right-back is Zidane's favourite to replace Danilo. He renewed with La Real during the Under-21 European championships, his buy-out rising to 40 million euros.
Real Madrid are interested in Real Sociedad and Spain Under-21 full-back Álvaro Odriozola, according to Cadena SER. Zinedine Zidane sees the 21-year-old as the perfect replacement for Danilo, who looks like he could be joining Chelsea.
Odriozola is Real Sociedad's pride and joy
Luring the defender away from Real Sociedad - his hometown club, will not be easy and after recent developments, nigh on impossible. Odriozola, like Mikel Oyarzabal, perfectly represents the successes of Real Sociedad's youth development policy - the Basque club is proud of its ability to produce home-grown players who they view as investment for the future of the club. Odriozola's case is slightly different to Oyarzabal's in that, while both are from the Guipuzcoa region, the right-back is actually from San Sebastián and is realising a life-long dream to be playing for his childhood club.
Odriozola has signed two contract extensions in as many years with La Real - he added an extra year onto his existing arrangement with the club in February 2016 while he was still officially a Sanse player. After breaking into the first team under Eusebio last season, he has gone from strength to strength, keeping the team's more experienced right-backs Carlos Martínez, Joseba Zaldua and Aritz Elustondo out of the side.
Odriozola handed contract extension in June
On 10 June, after changing his representatives, he renewed with the Guipuzcoanos, signing a three-year extension which takes him to 2022 and saw his retention fee hiked to 40 million euros. There is no way that Real Madrid would pay that amount for a player who, would be an understudy for Dani Carvajal but they would be willing to negotiate with Real Sociedad, a club they have always enjoyed an excellent relationship with.
Odriozola fits in with Madrid's strategy of making the squad more youthful - and more Spanish. But following Yuri Benchiche's departure from Real Sociedad to PSG last week, it is very doubtful that the Basque side would permit another, Guipuzcoa-born, academy-raised player leave their ranks.