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Centre-Back
Madrid have one of the best young defenders of the new generation in Varane along with Sergio Ramos, who needs no introduction, but with Ramos ageing and Varane's injury issues, Madrid need a young and established defender in their ranks to compete on all fronts. Nacho has done a formidable job at the heart of the defence, but he has been used as a substitute for the right back as well as the left back which means that Madrid are already very dependent on him. Jesus Vallejo is a youngster with a bright future but he still needs some time to establish himself as an A-class defender.
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Reports suggest that Madrid are ready to activate the buyout clause of their rival's young centre-back, Jose Gimenez. Not as quick as Varane, but tactically sound and aware of his positional play, he can recover well whenever his full backs are in the final third. The new manager will not hesitate in giving Gimenez a start in crucial games because of his experience at the highest level. He is a regular in the Atletico Madrid XI and the Uruguayan National Team alongside his captain Diego Godin.
If Atleti don't budge, Los Blancos will have to consider the likes of PSG's Marquinhos, who has Champions League experience and has played with and against some great footballers. His time with PSG has turned him into a starter for the Brazilian National team. The calmness he shows while passing the ball around has been a trait many defenders want. A good ball-playing center-back is a must for the team and he happens to be one. Another option for Madrid would be Ajax's De Ligt. The 18-year-old Dutch, according to several reports, is being linked to the likes of Tottenham, Barcelona and Manchester City. He is very young and inexperienced, but with the likes of Davinson Sanchez and Aymeric Laporte excelling at Tottenham and Manchester City, respectively, teams are ready to take their chances with the young guns. He should be used as an understudy to Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane and should start in Copa Del Rey games against teams like Tenerife. Sevilla's Lenglet, who is also a target for Football Club Barcelona,has been rock solid this season. He will be considered a target as Madrid like to challenge their rivals for their targets. He is also rumored to move away from Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan given his prolific season and Madrid need a solid ball playing center back. If signed, he will be competing with Varane for a place in a starting XI.
