Eduardo Camavinga has reportedly taken a step closer to joining Real Madrid from Rennes in the summer transfer window.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Diario Gol, Real Madrid could have moved closer to landing Eduardo Camavinga in the summer transfer window. The 18-year-old French midfielder could stall on discussions over a new contract, following the dismissal of Julian Stephan as the first-team boss.
Camavinga had already raised a lot of eyebrows when he made his first-team debut for Rennes aged just 16 in April 2019. In nearly two years since, he has grown considerably to not only become an indispensable figure for the Ligue 1 outfit, but also establish a foothold in the French national side, despite still being in his teens.
Till date, the 18-year-old prodigy has made 72 appearances for Rennes, with 2 goals and 4 assists to show for his efforts. His incredible progress has alerted a number of top clubs across Europe, with Real Madrid reportedly leading the chasing pack that is vying for his signature.
The Spanish giants appear set for a major overhaul project following what has been a challenging 2020/21 campaign for them. Just about every department is likely to be addressed, with defence seeing pivotal figures like Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane facing an uncertain future, whereas in midfield, Real Madrid need to lay down the succession plan for Luka Modric.
Indeed, Modric is now 35 years old and very much in the twilight of his career. In addition, Real Madrid have often struggled in the absence of Casemiro, who has established himself as perhaps the single-most influential member of Zinedine Zidane’s squad. To that end, Camavinga has emerged as a priority for Real Madrid ahead of the summer.
In fact, signing someone like Camavinga could be a one-stop solution for Los Blancos, with the Frenchman capable of playing as a holding midfielder equally adeptly as he does when deployed as a box-to-box midfielder. And now, Real Madrid could have been handed a major boost in pursuit of the youngster.
As per the report, the 18-year-old is unlikely to put pen to a long-term deal with Rennes following the sacking of Julian Stephan, who was instrumental in his progress since making his first-team bow. With Camavinga’s deal running out in the summer of 2022, this summer could be the perfect time for Real Madrid to pounce.
However, Rennes could still demand around €60 million in exchange of the teenage prodigy’s services, despite the fact that he will have just one year left on his deal come summer. The report does mention that Real Madrid are prepared to wait another year to sign him for free, although it will be interesting to see if they can reach an agreement over an acceptable figure this year itself.