Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are reportedly interested in signing 29-year-old Argentine international Lucas Alario from Bayer Leverkusen.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Lucas Alario is the subject of interest from Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid over a possible move in the summer transfer window. The 29-year-old Argentine international will leave Bayer Leverkusen ahead of the 2022/23 season.
Lucas Alario spent his formative years in Argentina before breaking into the first-team setup at Colon de Santa Fe over a decade ago. But the player first rose to prominence during his short stint with River Plate, where he had an excellent record of 41 goals in 82 games. Alario then forayed into Europe by joining Bayer Leverkusen in September 2017, and he has since endured a topsy turvy ride at the BayArena.
The Argentine international has enjoyed spells where he was a regular, but he has dropped in stature since Patrik Schick’s advent, especially in the season gone by. However, the 29-year-old still managed a decent return of seven goals in just 996 minutes of game-time. But Alario will leave Bayer Leverkusen this summer, with his availability capturing the attention of Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
Real Madrid might need to delve into the market to sign a backup for Karim Benzema, with Luka Jovic and Mariano Diaz facing uncertain futures at the Santiago Bernabeu. While Jovic could return to the Bundesliga, Mariano has suitors across Europe, with former club Lyon recently emerging in his pursuit.
Alario is thus a viable target for Real Madrid, with his record as the backup to Schick this season likely to give Los Blancos cause for optimism. But Real Madrid will have to fend off stiff competition from local rival Atletico Madrid to secure the services of the 29-year-old striker.
Atletico Madrid will lose Luis Suarez as a free agent in the summer transfer window, prompting them to pursue a striker in the market. With Joao Felix and Antonio Griezmann’s futures not set in stone, Atletico Madrid will need to be clever in their search for an attacking reinforcement, with players like Andrea Belotti emerging on their radar.
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Alario is also a viable target for Atletico Madrid, as he will be available for a cut-price fee in the summer transfer window. But the competition from Real Madrid leaves Los Rojiblancos with an uphill task in the race to sign the 29-year-old Argentine international from Bayer Leverkusen.
