Real Madrid are reportedly interested in signing Lens defender Jonathan Clauss as a replacement for the injury-prone Dani Carvajal.
According to a report from Fichajes, Real Madrid are eyeing a swoop for RC Lens’ French right-back, Jonathan Clauss, as a candidate to replace long-serving defender Dani Carvajal at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Clauss started out at the academy of RC Strasbourg and went on to have stints at Vauban Strasbourg, SV Linx, US Raon-l’Etape, US Avranches, Quevilly Rouen and Arminia Bielefeld, before he ended up at Lens in the summer of 2020. Since joining the Ligue 1 outfit, the Frenchman has been one of the best right-backs on display in the French top-flight.
In his debut season for Lens, Clauss produced an impressive tally of three goals and seven assists from 34 appearances in all competitions. And he seems all set to better that return this time out, having already managed two goals and six assists from just 13 matches so far. His attacking capabilities have now seemingly caught the eyes of one of the biggest clubs in the world in the form of Real Madrid.
The Spanish capital outfit have been guilty of making some bad decisions with regard to their options at right-back, which has left them in a bit of a lurch. The signing of Alvaro Odriozola from Real Sociedad never really worked out for Real Madrid, and he is currently away on loan at Serie A club Fiorentina. At the same time, the sale of Achraf Hakimi to Inter Milan last year has proven to be a huge mistake.
Carvajal, who is the first-choice at right-back currently, has been hit hard by several injuries over the past couple of seasons and, as a result, is starting to show signs of decline. With no other option beyond him apart from a makeshift one in Lucas Vazquez, Los Blancos desperately need to address the situation at the earliest possible.
This has led to an interest in several right-backs, such as Pedro Porro of Manchester City, who is currently on loan at Sporting CP, while there have been links to Chelsea star Reece James, among others. Now, as per the report mentioned above, Clauss has emerged as an option to replace Carvajal at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The 29-year-old will be entering the final year of his contract with Lens next summer and could be available for a bargain price. With Real Madrid planning to go big in strengthening other positions in the squad, an affordable option like Clauss could prove to be a shrewd addition to the ranks. It remains to be seen if the interest in the Frenchman leads to anything substantial.