A Euro 2024 winner with Spain has agreed to join Real Madrid in the January transfer window according to OK Diario director Eduardo Inda, who cited anonymous sources while appearing on popular local television program El Chiringuito.
Madrid effectively has the green light to immediately sign five players if it wishes, though any potential acquisitions must currently be without clubs which doesn’t leave the reigning domestic and continental champion with many options.
If head coach Carlo Ancelotti and President Florentino Perez do head to the market, it’ll be in January when the transfer window officially reopens on the second of said month.
Los Blancos have been seriously depleted in defense after a string of injuries, with the decision not to pay what Lille wanted for Leny Yoro, who instead headed to Manchester United this summer, proven to have been a rare misstep in terms of squad planning.
This leaves Madrid with just one natural, senior center back in Toni Rudiger, but Ancelotti already has his preferred choice of a reinforcement in mind says Inda.
Inda explained during an appearance on El Chiringuito that ex-Manchester City star Aymeric Laporte “is the player that Ancelotti likes”.
“He is the one he insists on, but he costs the €30 million ($31.8 million) that the Saudis paid,” Inda added, referring to Laporte’s current employers Al-Nassr.
A potential problem Inda pointed out is that Laporte currently earns “€20 million net ($21.2 million)” in the Pro League.
According to Inda’s anonymous sources, however, the French-born Spain international would be willing to take a considerable pay cut and instead take home around “€5 or 6 million ($5.3 or $6.4 million)” a season.
