Two stars Real Madrid fancy as Mourinho targets left-footed centre-back signing – report | OneFootball

Amidst all of Real Madrid’s ongoing player pursuits this summer, Jose Mourinho appears to be the most invested in the central defensive recruitment.

After roping in Ibrahima Konate, the Portuguese coach is pushing for a second central defensive signing and has silently made it clear that he does not value the existing central defensive options highly.

He is, in particular, looking for a left-footed centre-back as reported by Ben Fernandes Santos as he prioritises the player’s distribution and comfort to operate as a left-back.

Two options stand out

Initially, Riccardo Calafiori and Josko Gvardiol were rumoured to be Real Madrid’s top transfer targets as left-footed defenders. The first now appears an unlikely target while the Manchester City star has been ruled out as reported by the Spanish journalist.

Real Madrid like Schlotterbeck. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

Given that Mourinho still requires a signing of that profile, two more options have now come up as better-placed names. They are Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck and Arsenal’s Piero Hincapie.

The former has been a target for Los Blancos for a long time now and is reportedly waiting for an offer from the Merengues. He has a €50 million release clause that can be triggered, setting up for a value-for-money signing.

In fact, Real Madrid star Antonio Rudiger even approved and welcomed the arrival of Schlotterbeck to Real Madrid in a recent interview.

“Good players are always welcome. But I don’t want to say much more about it. I’d be happy,” he said.

The London-based option

Meanwhile, the second player now linked as Mourinho’s preferred left-footed centre-back is Piero Hincapie who is a much more recent arrival onto the scene.

Piero Hincapie is also on Real Madrid’s agenda. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

He was said to be considered a left-back option by the club before signing Marc Cucurella, but the men in white eventually preferred the Spanish national team star instead.

The Ecuadorian defender has been linked with the club in the past as well, especially last summer when the club held talks over a possible €60 million transfer. It remains to be seen if the club continue to see him as a genuine centre-back target as well in the coming weeks.

A third option linked in recent days is also Alessandro Bastoni who has widely been claimed as Mourinho’s top priority. His signing, however, will also involve a sizeable fee given how Inter Milan have defended him publicly in recent months.