Real Madrid made two major signings in the summer 2024 transfer window, but both of these blockbuster attacking buys were pre-arranged deals for Endrick and Kylian Mbappe that everyone knew were coming.
In summer 2025, Real Madrid have a more intriguing window ahead of them, because they could go in any number of directions to upgrade a squad that is starting to look dangerously thin in defense.
Left back, center back, and right back will be priority positions for Real Madrid with players like Alvaro Fernandez, Antonio Silva, and Alphonso Davies emerging on the radar at these key positions.
According to a report from Sky Sports Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Real Madrid are confirmed to be tracking Bayer Leverkusen star right midfielder Jeremie Frimpong, who has been one of the world’s best in this role for the last few seasons – even before Leverkusen became mainstream last season.
Frimpong has a 40 million euro release clause that will be active in summer 2025, making him both affordable and similar in price point and playing style to another talented attacking right back Real Madrid could have kept a few years ago, Achraf Hakimi.
So in that way, Xabi Alonso’s second-most coveted star on the summer 2025 transfer market could be Real Madrid’s roundabout way of replacing Hakimi, who never got to play for the Merengues at his best after choosing to join Inter Milan and PSG following a star-making loan from Madrid to Dortmund.
Real Madrid are already pursuing Alonso’s biggest gem in Leverkusen, attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz. Frimpong fills a bigger position of need at right back following Dani Carvajal’s season-ending injury, but he won’t arrive until the summer and, like Hakimi, may be too attacking-centric to truly replace the Ballon d’Or candidate at right back.
Nevertheless, Frimpong is just 23 and has an exceptional resume with 17 goals and 14 assists in the last two seasons. Ideally, he’d be an option alongside Carvajal rather than a direct replacement.
Of course, Frimpong isn’t even Real’s priority transfer target from an attacking right back perspective, as impending free agent Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool has long been Florentino Perez’s dream right back target.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He covered Real Madrid from 2019-2022 for The Real Champs as a site manager. His work has been featured in ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, and other major outlets. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.