Real Madrid Target: Midfielder Ready to Join Immediately

Alvaro Arbeloa managed to overcome some of Real Madrid’s midfield inconsistencies in the team’s recent win over Levante in La Liga. On the night, Los Blancos were poor through the first half and simply failed to impose themselves in midfield. The manager’s decision to bring on Arda Guler and Dani Ceballos, eventually, brought back control for the team in the department and ensured that they took home a 2-0 win. A possible signing? The team’s deficiencies in the middle of the park are not newfound, for it was one of Xabi Alonso’s first requests as the new manager for the board to sign a new deep midfielder who can also serve as a creative presence. Florentino Perez and Co. however, did not make the required move and the team continues to suffer without the aforementioned profile. Now, however, Carrusel Deportivo brings an interesting update that Ruben Neves is interested in an immediate move to Madrid. The former Wolves and Porto defensive midfielder is reportedly keen on joining Real Madrid in the ongoing winter transfer window and is willing to arrive as an immediate solution to the plaguing issue. Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, however, is not in favour of his signing and is creating resistance against the move. It is, thus unlikely to happen, especially given that it was Xabi Alonso who was initially interested in Neves’ profile. The Real Madrid president, after all, has largely stuck to his policy of not making signings in the winter for a long time now and that could well be the reason he is against Neves’ recruitment. Real Madrid continue to insist that there will no new signings made this month and that the current squad has enough quality to challenge for and win trophies. One of the highlights of Spanish media over the past few months has been Real Madrid’s centre-back situation and the possible targets they have their sights on to reinforce the same. After all, Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba stare at an uncertain future beyond this season. Eder Militao’s fitness has shown enough fluctuation to label him as an unreliable option while Dean Huijsen and Raul Asencio have both been inconsistent. The club’s need for a high-quality centre-back, thus, is paramount and the board were closely eyeing the situations of Marc Guehi, Dayot Upamecano, Ibrahima Konate and others. Perez’s master plan Now, as relayed by AS in a recent report, Real Madrid have decided to reinforce the central defence in the summer transfer window, as was the plan initially. Despite the team’s struggles in recent times, no effort will be made to sign a new player in the ongoing winter transfer window. After all, Florentino Perez is firmly against mid-season recruitments. It is not ruled out that the team could sign one or even two centre-backs in June based on the need felt then. Until then, however, Alvaro Arbeloa must make do with the resources he currently has at his disposal. Real Madrid’s decision over how many defenders to sign in June will depend on a plethora of factors, the biggest of which will be the number of existing centre-backs who leave the club. Alaba, as it stands, is almost certain to leave the club in June. Should Rudiger also leave, however, the club will be under pressure to find two new players in the department. Other factors that will influence the decision include the team’s budget, the fitness status of existing defenders, and the form of the likes of Asencio and Huijsen. Young academy talents and their rise could well also play a part, with Joan Martinez, Diego Aguado, and Victor Valdepenas being potential options.