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Real Madrid travel to the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium on Sunday, January 12, to face Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana final. A win can help Carlo Ancelotti's team pick up their third trophy of this campaign.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are leading the race to sign Ajax starlet Jorrel Hato. Elsewhere, Los Blancos have set their sights on a Romanian right-back who plays in LaLiga.
On that note, let's look at the major Real Madrid transfer stories from January 12, 2024.
Chelsea leading Jorrel Hato race
Chelsea are the favorites to sign Jorrel Hato this year, according to Caught Offside. The Dutch defender has been outstanding for Ajax in recent times and also has admirers at Real Madrid.
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Los Blancos are looking for defensive reinforcements to address an injury-plagued backline. Eder Militao is out for the rest of the campaign, while David Alaba is yet to feature after returning from a long-term injury.
The LaLiga giants wanted to sign Leny Yoro from Lille last summer but lost out to Manchester United in the race. Real Madrid have now set their sights on Hato, who has registered 29 appearances across competitions for Ajax this season.
The Eredivisie side would ideally like him to stay but could be willing to offload him for £40-45 million. However, Los Blancos will also face competition from Chelsea and Arsenal for the 18-year-old.
The Blues have targeted talented young footballers in the market of late and have some of the best young footballers in their squad. A long-term replacement for Thiago Silva remains on their wish list and Hato could be the ideal man for the job.
Real Madrid eyeing Andrei Ratiu
Real Madrid have identified Andrei Ratiu as an alternative to Trent Alexander-Arnold, according to Fichajes.net. The LaLiga giants are in the market for a new right-back at the moment and have their eyes on the Liverpool man.
Alexander-Arnold's contract expires in less than six months and he hasn't signed a new deal yet. While Los Blancos are plotting a Bosman move this summer, the Reds haven't given up hope of tying the player down to a new deal yet.
The situation has prompted Real Madrid to keep alternatives ready and Ratiu has popped up on their radar. The Romanian right-back has been quite impressive for Rayo Vallecano this season, registering one goal and one assist from 18 games. The 26-year-old is likely to be available for just €15 million.
Alphonso Davies all set to sign new deal
Alphonso Davies has agreed to sign an extension with Bayern Munich, according to journalist Ekrem Konur. The Canadian speedster is a priority target for Real Madrid, who are planning to sign him for free this summer.
Davies' contract with the Bundesliga giants expires in six months and he hasn't signed a new deal yet. Los Blancos have been eyeing the player with interest for a while and have identified him as an upgrade on Ferland Mendy.
However, the Bavarians were determined to convince the player to stay and it now appears that their efforts have borne fruit. Davies has decided to continue his association with Bayern Munich, which will be a huge blow for the LaLiga champions.
