Real Madrid signed young center back Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth last summer. While he has added depth to the squad, the team still lacks strength in central defense.
Eder Militao, who is considered the best center back, has ongoing injury issues that make him unreliable. Huijsen, meanwhile, is still gaining experience at the highest level of European football and cannot yet be the main replacement.
Additionally, with Antonio Rudiger aging and David Alaba’s career winding down, Real Madrid may need to recruit not just one, but two top-tier center backs. Signing Ibrahima Konate from Liverpool alone may not suffice.
As reported by ESPN’s Rodra, Real Madrid’s scouting team is keeping an eye on two notable players from the Bundesliga: Castello Lukeba from RB Leipzig and Nico Schlotterbeck from Borussia Dortmund.
Both players are performing well in a challenging league for center backs. Although Schlotterbeck can make mistakes, his athleticism and passing skills are impressive, attracting interest from Champions League teams like Liverpool.
On the other hand, the more affordable Lukeba might align better with Real Madrid’s needs, thanks to his consistency, solid one-on-one defending, and game awareness. RB Leipzig is known for training outstanding center backs, including Konate, Dayot Upamecano, and Josko Gvardiol.