Real Madrid continue defensive rebuild as €50m centre-back waits in the wings

Real Madrid continue defensive rebuild as €50m centre-back waits in the wings Even though there are still several days left till the start of the 2026 summer transfer window, Real Madrid have already signed 4 new players, that is, as many as they did in the whole of the last summer transfer window. The defense has been a particular area of focus for the Merengues, as three of these four signings have been for this part of the team, i.e., Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konate, and Denzel Dumfries. However, the white club’s transfer business is still not concluded, and they are reportedly looking to make at least three more signings before the start of the next season . Even their task of strengthening the defense does not seem to be complete yet, as they are still looking for another center-back. In this regard, Josko Gvardiol recently emerged as a good candidate for them, but links with him have cooled down in the last few days as he is reportedly close to agreeing a renewal with Manchester City. In such a context, the Borussia Dortmund center-back Nico Schlotterbeck continues to remain of interest to the Merengue club. Meanwhile, Diario AS cites Sky Germany to claim that the player himself is also waiting for Real Madrid to make a move. The German defender recently signed a renewal with Dortmund, but kept a release clause, which is unusual for Bundesliga players, of €50 million. With this move, he ensured that he would not have to leave his beloved club for free, and also kept a door open for a potential move to another of his desired clubs, i.e., Real Madrid. Keeping in view the white club’s interest in the player, Dortmund have already starting looking for a replacement of their starting center-back. Nico Schlotterbeck is a player particularly to Jose Mourinho’s liking, and the Spanish giants are looking to finalize their squad well before the start of the next season. Thus, it may not be too long before Los Vikingos announces the German as their next acquisition.