REAL MADRID
Who could Real Madrid sign in defence after Alaba ACL injury?
After David Alaba joined Éder Militão on the injury list, Real Madrid are set to step up their pursuit of another central defender.
High-quality, young and affordable. That’s the profile of centre-back that Real Madrid have been looking for ever since Éder Militão tore his anterior cruciate ligament in August. Now, after Militão’s fellow central defender, David Alaba, also injured his ACL on Sunday, Los Blancos are set to step up their bid to strengthen at the back.
Watch - Ancelotti confirms Alaba has ACL injury:
What defenders are Madrid considering signing?
As Diario AS has previously reported, Madrid are keeping a close eye on Sporting CP’s Gonçalo Inácio, a 22-year-old centre-back who is now a fixture in Roberto Martínez’s Portugal team.
However, that’s not the only option that the 14-time European champions are considering. Madrid are also running the rule over Inácio’s compatriot Antonio Silva, a 20-year-old prospect at Benfica, and Atalanta’s Giorgio Scalvini, who is being earmarked as the future of Italy’s central defence.
Inácio is a candidate that Madrid have been watching with keen attention. His €60m Sporting release clause is certainly within reach, but it hardly represents a transfer-market steal, either. However, his club has made it known that they would be flexible when it comes to negotiating a payment plan. The 19-time Portuguese champions would be willing to let the youngster go for an initial €45m, plus €15m in easily-achieved incentivised add-ons.
Manchester United are also keen to sign Inácio, but the player has made it plain that his preference would be to move to the Bernabéu.
How do Inácio, Silva and Scalvini compare?
Silva is a similar defender to Inácio, but with some key differences. The latter is about 6ft 1in tall and, significantly, is a left-footer like Militão and Alaba. Silva is marginally taller at 6ft 2in, but is right-footed. His market value is in more or less the same range as Inácio’s buy-out, with the specialist website Transfermarkt estimating it at €45m, but his Benfica release clause is actually considerably higher. Madrid would have to pay his club €100m to buy out his contract.
Scalvini, meanwhile, is causing huge excitement in Italy and is now a regular for the national team. The 6ft 4in defender is also a right-footer, but has shown that he has no trouble playing as a left-sided centre-back. He would come with an asking price that wouldn’t go any higher than €50m.
Madrid also eyeing Frankfurt’s Pacho
Madrid aren’t only looking in Italy and Portugal, though. At Germany’s Eintracht Frankfurt, Ecuador’s Willian Pacho fits the profile Los Merengues are after.
Another left-footed option, Pacho has impressed for Eintracht, a selling club that has done plenty of business with Madrid in recent times, signing Jesús Vallejo and Omar Mascarell from the Spaniards. Having bought Pacho, 22, for some €11m from Antwerp this year, Frankfurt would be unlikely to accept anything below €40m for the player.
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