Real Madrid are starting to realize that their complacency in addressing the defense on the transfer market has come back to bite them badly, as they are fresh off surrendering a combined seven goals to Barcelona and AC Milan in their two biggest matchups of the season thus far.
It’s been a poor start to the campaign for Carlo Ancelotti and his squad, as they are clearly second best to Barcelona in La Liga and have already lost two Champions League matches against beatable opponents.
Fixing the defense rests partially on Ancelotti to come up with better tactical solutions than “Eder Militao go brrrrr”, but it also lies in the responsibility the Real Madrid board has to finally supply their legendary manager with the defensive reinforcements on the transfer market that he’s been asking requesting for over a year.
Former Manchester City star Aymeric Laporte, who is still playing at a high level for Spain and Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, has been speculated as the top transfer target at Valdebebas, owing to his experience and immediately to start games immediately.
However, MARCA’s Jose Felix Diaz reports that RB Leipzig center back Castello Lukeba is actually the main transfer target on Real’s list, even as they are creating a shortlist of options at the position for the upcoming summer and winter windows.
At 21, Lukeba has much more upside than Laporte, who is 30 and technically on a downward trajectory in his career path. Lukeba is just getting started as a future world-class center back, and he already has a strong record in Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga.
Lukeba may be difficult to sign in the winter, though. He also won’t come cheap, but you could argue that signing him from a selling club like Leipzig will be easier than signing him from a Saudi Pro League side that cares more about making splashes than selling established European stars.
Although Real Madrid supporters value winning in the present, they aren’t fans in spending big money on aging players, especially if that big money includes a hefty contract.
Lukeba can help Real Madrid in the present and the future, so you can see why Los Blancos would prefer signing the Frenchman, whether that’s in the January or summer transfer window.
