Real Madrid remains active in the search for new names to reinforce its defense, and one of the athletes on its radar is Piero Hincapié, an Ecuadorian defender who currently plays for Arsenal.
Despite the interest, negotiations to acquire the defender would not be simple. Arsenal made a loan with an obligation to buy from Bayer Leverkusen last season, with a value that exceeded 50 million euros, which makes releasing the player a financial challenge.
Although he is not an absolute starter, the Ecuador player demonstrated great value to coach Mikel Arteta. His versatility, playing both as a defender and as a wing-back, was crucial for the Gunners in the season in which they won the Premier League and reached the UEFA Champions League final.
Previous information already indicated that the Spanish club is specifically looking for a new left-footed defender, even after securing the signing of Konaté and renewing the contract with Antonio Rüdiger.
David Alaba’s departure, after his contract ended, left a gap. However, Mourinho’s current squad already has five defenders: Éder Militão, Antonio Rüdiger, Dean Huijsen, Raúl Asencio and newcomer Konaté.
Given this scenario, the club from the Spanish capital needs to optimize its squad after having completed the acquisitions of Konaté, Marc Cucurella, Bernardo Silva and Denzel Dumfries, the latter still awaiting an official announcement.
Regarding the defensive line, speculation indicates that Real Madrid would be evaluating proposals for Raúl Asencio, and a possible transfer of the young player could open the door for the arrival of a new defender.
Evaluation of other alternatives for the defense, including Ruben Dias
Ruben Dias also appears in the list of possible reinforcements for Real Madrid’s defense. The Manchester City defender is an athlete admired by Mourinho, however, sources indicate that his market price is quite high, which would make a possible deal difficult.
Alessandro Bastoni and Nico Schlotterbeck are other names on the club’s list of potential targets. The chances of signing the German defender, however, decreased considerably after he suffered a serious injury in a clash against Ivory Coast, which prevented him from participating in the World Cup.