Real Madrid have reportedly set their sights on Gonzalo Montiel and Jorge Sanchez, as they to bolster their right-back options.
According to a report by Todo Fichajes, Real Madrid are in the market for a right-back owing to Dani Carvajal’s fitness problems and Alvaro Odriozola’s desire to seal an exit. It is believed that Real Madrid have jumped into the Latin American market and have shown interest in signing Gonzalo Montiel from River Plate and Jorge Sanchez from Club America.
Gonzalo Montiel, 24, has only recently become a regular in the River Plate first-team setup and has gained attention from European clubs. The right-back has been linked with the likes of West Ham United and AS Roma as well. Montiel already has 7 assists and a goal to his name this term in the SuperLiga and Libertadores. Reportedly available for €9 million, Montiel could be an interim option for Real Madrid.
Jorge Sanchez, on the other hand, is 23 years old and plays in the Mexican first division. Unlike Montiel, Sanchez plays in a back four and is a lot more conservative going forward while being defensively solid and adding the occasional assist to his game. He would be a suitable fit in Real Madrid’s playing style and an appropriate replacement for Dani Carvajal as well.
Both Montiel and Sanchez are raw products and it would be a lot to ask them to come to one of the world’s biggest clubs and start week in week out. However, either of the two can potentially provide solid cover for Carvajal, in the scenario that Odriozola is offloaded by Real Madrid.
It has been a while since Dani Carvajal got together a long run of starts. The Spanish right-back has only made 10 appearances this season and his fitness has been a topic of great care at Real Madrid. Currently 29, Carvajal is not getting any younger. It does not come as a surprise that Real Madrid are reportedly concerned about his fitness woes.
Taking all things into consideration, selling Achraf Hakimi is a move that is proving to be more questionable with each passing day. At the time of the sale, it was believed that Hakimi was being moved on in favour of Odriozola, who returned from a trophy-laden spell with Bayern Munich. But, according to recent developments, Odriozola is out of favour under Zinedine Zidane and has only made four appearances this term.
In any case, signing either of the promising Latin American right-backs could not go wrong. They could either serve as a backup at Real Madrid or be later moved on to another European club. Both players are likely to cost south of €10 million and considering Real Madrid’s finances at the moment, this is a move that could suit them, as they could offset the transfer fee with the money recouped from Odriozola’s sale.
