Plan revealed! Real Madrid plot double signing to close the wound
Real Madrid's summer rebuild was one of the most aggressive in Europe, but the Bernabéu boardroom is already drawing up the next one. And this time, they intend to make sure history does not repeat itself.
Details: According to Fabrizio Romano, Real Madrid are aiming to sign a top defender next season, while the club will also act strategically in the market for a midfielder in order to avoid another Rodri situation. The reference cuts deep: Madrid pursued Manchester City's Ballon d'Or winner Rodri all summer, even tabling an offer of around €50 million, only to watch Barcelona hijack the move at the end of the window for a package worth roughly €76.5 million. The lesson, it seems, has been learned in Madrid's planning rooms: identify the target early and move decisively, or lose the player to a rival.
The defensive priority is no mystery. Madrid spent heavily in the summer to reinforce the position, bringing in Marc Cucurella, Denzel Dumfries and Ibrahima Konaté as David Alaba and Dani Carvajal departed, but the project remains a work in progress: Éder Militão continues to battle injuries, Raúl Asencio has been called out by Mourinho himself for his derby performance and is reportedly available for sale, and reports suggest the club could even recruit another centre-back if the right opportunity arises. The strategic midfielder signing points to a desire for a younger, long-term anchor behind Aurélien Tchouaméni and the ageing profiles of Bernardo Silva and Luka Modrić's eventual succession, a profile Madrid had earmarked Rodri to fill.
It's worth noting that Madrid already dipped into the market for the future by signing 19-year-old Sergio Martínez from Racing Club for €3 million in August, a long-term bet rather than an immediate solution. The broader context explains the urgency: Madrid lost the championship narrative over the past two seasons, responded with Mourinho's return on a contract until 2029, and have since been beaten by Atlético in the derby with a frosty dressing room dominating the headlines. Signing a top defender and moving early for the right midfielder would signal that the Bernabéu hierarchy has no intention of losing another transfer battle to Barcelona, on the pitch or off it.
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Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
