Real Madrid ready to make €50 million offer to sign 18-year-old England U21 international in January transfer window: Reports

Real Madrid are reportedly considering making a €50 million bid for Tottenham Hotspur star Archie Gray. They are interested in signing him this January alongside two other Spurs players.

Spurs beat great competition last summer to sign Gray from Leeds United for a reported fee of £40 million. The 18-year-old has barely featured in his preferred position, i.e. midfield, but has been exceptional this season. He's played as a right-back, left-back, and centre-back, making 24 appearances across competitions. He has made eight appearances for the England U21 side as well.

As per TEAMtalk, Real Madrid have been impressed with Gray and are keen to bring him to the Santiago Bernabeu. They are set to make a €50 million offer for him amidst their defensive struggles. However, with the youngster's contract expiring in 2030, Tottenham are unlikely to accept such a low bid.

As per the aforementioned report, Los Blancos are also interested in Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven. The Spanish giants have lost Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao for the rest of the season due to ACL injuries. David Alaba has yet to return from his injury and he's 32 now.

Hence, Real Madrid are interested in signing Romero and Van de Ven, who have both impressed for Tottenham. However, any potential deal for them will likely happen in the summer.

---

Carlo Ancelotti on 2 Real Madrid defenders after El Clasico defeat

Barcelona hammered Real Madrid 5-2 in the El Clasico in the Supercopa de Espana final in Saudi Arabia on Sunday. Kylian Mbappe (5') opened the scoring for Los Blancos but Lamine Yamal (22') and Robert Lewandowski (36' p) turned it around for the Blaugrana. Raphinha (38') and Alejandro Balde (45+10') made it 4-1 before halftime.

Raphinha added another in the 48th minute before Wojciech Szczesny was sent off in the 56th minute. Rodrygo scored four minutes later for the Merengues but it was merely another consolation.

After the game, Carlo Ancelotti was asked about right-back Lucas Vazquez and centre-back Aurelien Tchouameni's performance on the night. He answered (via Managing Madrid):

“I don’t want to point the finger at anyone. They didn’t defend well at the back. The team wasn’t compact. We need to defend better.”

With Dani Carvajal out for the season, Lucas Vazquez is the main alternative at right-back for Real Madrid. Meanwhile, Ancelotti has often chosen to use defensive midfielder Tchouameni as a centre-back over academy graduate Raul Asencio.