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According to reports in the Spanish media, Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane is currently on the lookout for a potential long-term replacement for club captain and veteran defender Sergio Ramos.
The Spanish World Cup winner has spent most of his illustrious career at Real Madrid and has won plenty of silverware at the club. Ramos is approaching the end of his career and Real Madrid wants to be proactive when to comes to plugging the massive hole that will be left by the defender's potential departure.
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The Spanish champions have identified Sevilla defender Jules Kounde and RB Leipzig prodigy Dayot Upamecano as potential long-term heirs to Sergio Ramos' throne at Real Madrid. Los Blancos have spent a better part of the last two seasons making excellent acquisitions in the transfer market and will try to keep up their good work in what will be a crucial two years for the club.
Real Madrid's consistency this season is a testament to the fact that the sporting project implemented at the club is working wonders for Florentino Perez. The club is preparing for a modern era and football and a replacement for Sergio Ramos is the need of the hour.
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Real Madrid wants to bring a young defender to the club
Replacing a player of Sergio Ramos' stature is no mean feat and Real Madrid will need to find a genuinely talented centre-back in the transfer market. The Real Madrid captain has won an incredible 4 Champions League trophies with the club and may well win another one this year.
Jules Kounde has been a revelation under Julen Lopetegui this season. His best performance since the La Liga restart came in a 0-0 stalemate with Real Madrid's arch-rivals Barcelona.
The French defender could potentially follow the same career route taken by Sergio Ramos and decide to play for Real Madrid next season. Kounde is one of the most promising defenders in the league and could be an excellent asset to Real Madrid.
Spanish news publication Mundo Deportivo has also reported that Real Madrid has identified Dayot Upamecano as the ideal replacement for Sergio Ramos. The RB Leipzig defender has been sensational this season and is being courted by several European giants.
The likes of Arsenal and Bayern Munich have expressed interest in securing the signature of the talented centre-back and Real Madrid may have to enter a bidding war to bring Upamecano to La Liga.
The Frenchman has been a rock in Leipzig's defence this season and is likely to move to one of the European bigwigs at some point in the future. Real Madrid will need to fill Sergio Ramos' shoes in a few years and Upamecano seems to fit the bill.
Sergio Ramos' legendary leadership skills, however, which be much more difficult to replace. The Spaniard has become the beating heart of a talented Real Madrid side and his ability to lead from the front has given Los Blancos a cutting edge in Spain and in Europe.
The experienced centre-back led his side to the La Liga title this season and oozed confidence in his own box and in the opposition's penalty area. Real Madrid will want Sergio Ramos to play a vital role at the club for years to come.
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