Bengaluru, Dec. 23: Real Madrid lost two big players in the heart of their defence last summer as club captain Sergio Ramos left for Paris Saint-Germain while another star Raphael Varane opted for Manchester United.
As their replacement, the La Liga powerhouse brought versatile defender David Alaba for free and promoted Eder Militao to the starting eleven. But the backline still lacks sincerity and as a result, it is understood that the Los Blancos have put together a shortlist ahead of the summer.
The wish list includes the likes of Sevilla's Jules Kounde, Villarreal's Pau Torres and Juventus' Matthijs de Ligt however as per rumours these Premier League defenders are also attracting interest.
Antonio Rudiger
The German international has been playing some of his best football in the past year. His performances towards the end of last season and at the beginning of this campaign have led Chelsea to win the UCL title and compete for the Premier League trophy. However, the 28-year-old is set to enter the final six months of his current Chelsea contract and does not appear close to penning an extension. Real Madrid have reportedly been alerted by the situation and signing him as a free agent next summer now certainly looks like a possibility.
Joe Gomez
Liverpool defender Joe Gomez is also reportedly one of the options the Los Blancos are looking at. The England international has played only sparingly this season since recovering a long-term ACL injury and has found himself behind Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate in the battle to partner Virgil van Dijk in the pecking order. Klopp is said to have no plans to let Gomez leave seeing him as Liverpool's defensive commander of the future. However, there is a possibility that Madrid's interest threatens that prospect.