Real Madrid closely monitoring 19-year-old defensive prodigy with €45m release clause | OneFootball

Real Madrid’s alarming lack of depth in the defensive unit was highlighted this midweek when Los Blancos started with Dani Carvajal and Antonio Rudiger as the central defensive pairing.

Having missed out on Leny Yoro in the summer, Real Madrid entered the new season with limited options in central defence, especially with David Alaba still nursing an injury.

But recent injury scares indicated that Real Madrid are in dire need of defensive reinforcements, which is why the club have appeared more proactive in the market lately.

Real Madrid have been primarily linked with moves for Premier League’s defensive duo Cristian Romero and William Saliba. But the club are equally keen on signing younger options with higher potential.

Real Madrid eye move for Gasiorowski

According to AS, Real Madrid are keeping close tabs on Yarek Gasiorowski, a central defensive prodigy currently plying his trade for Valencia.

Slightly taller than Real Madrid’s summer target Leny Yoro, Gasiorowski has made a solid impression in the early parts of the season, notably appearing in two league matches for Valencia.

A star in the making? (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Despite limited game-time, Gasiorowski has shown immense potential and his imposing presence at the back makes him an interesting option for Real Madrid as they look to shore up their ranks at the back.

The combination of Gasiorowski and Joan Martinez, in fact, could prove to be an excellent future defensive combination for the team.

Potential roadblocks for Real Madrid

However, acquiring the services of Gasiorowski could be far from straightforward for Real Madrid. The defender reportedly has a €45 million release clause, which could increase further if the player continues to play regularly at the highest level of football.

It must be noted that higher expenses were one of the key reasons why Real Madrid backed out from the Yoro chase in the summer.

Spending a fortune on another inexperienced centre-back, therefore, is not something the club could envisage at the moment.

Moreover, Real Madrid are not the only club eyeing a move for the young defender. The player is also courted by other European outfits such as Inter Milan and RB Salzburg.