Real Madrid see €30m-rated Valencia defender as potential long-term solution | OneFootball

Carlo Ancelotti was tormented by the lack of depth at centre-back last season and paid the price for it in the form of Real Madrid’s slip-ups across competitions.

After all, Antonio Rudiger was playing through excruciating pain while David Alaba and Eder Militao spent more time injured than fit.

The arrival of Dean Huijsen, however, relieves pressure on the department to an extent. Even in that case, there is an equally strong stance that the men in white need at least one more player in the position going ahead this season.

The La Liga option

Los Blancos have been linked with several big names in the central defensive position in recent weeks with Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate and Arsenal’s William Saliba standing out as seriously promising options.

Now, as relayed by Real Madrid Confidencial, however, Valencia’s Cristhian Mosquera has emerged as a strong candidate to reinforce the back-line and is a name Xabi Alonso approves.

Cristhian Mosquera is on Real Madrid’s radar. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Like Konate, he is a player who ends his contract in June 2026, giving Real Madrid a golden chance to pursue him on a free transfer next summer. After all, it has been the Galacticos’ trend in recent years to follow free agents more closely.

Despite being just 20 years of age, Mosquera is seen as one of La Liga’s most promising defenders and Alonso sees a lot of value in acquiring his services now. Moreover, it will be relatively simple to pull off given Valencia’s economic situation.

The Mestalla-based club are expected to show minimal resistance to letting go of the defender given their need to sell players. The youngster is rated at €30 million and a fee around that ball-park could prove sufficient.

*Player valuation in title obtained from transfermarkt.com on date of publication.