Real Madrid will reportedly face competition from Serie A champions Inter Milan in pursuit of Rennes and Croatia midfielder Lovro Majer.
According to a report from Spanish outlet Fichajes, Inter Milan set to rival Real Madrid in the race to sign Stade Rennais midfielder Lovro Majer in the summer transfer window of 2022.
Majer joined Rennes only this past summer from Croatian giants Dinamo Zagreb, for whom he featured 99 times, bagging 19 goals and 25 assists. Since landing in France in the summer, the 23-year-old has gradually grown into a key player for the Ligue 1 outfit, helping them move up to the second spot in the league table.
In his 12 appearances for Rennes, Majer has been directly involved in six goals (one goal, five assists). His performances since arriving in France and before that in Croatia have earned him plenty of admirers across Europe, with the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham taking an interest. At the same time, Real Madrid have also identified him as a transfer target.
Real Madrid are on the lookout for reinforcements in the middle of the park as they look to move on from club icon Luka Modric, who, at 36, is in the final stages of his career and sees his contract expire at the end of the ongoing campaign. Furthermore, with Toni Kroos also entering his thirties, managing his game-time becomes important for Los Blancos.
So, even though they signed Eduardo Camavinga earlier this year, bringing in another midfielder becomes imperative for Real Madrid. And, the club have identified Majer as the ideal alternative for compatriot Modric. However, they will now have to face competition from Italian heavyweights Inter Milan to sign the 23-year-old Croatian international.
The reigning Serie A champions are sweating over the future of midfield mainstay Marcelo Brozovic. Like Modric, he, too, is in the final year of his contract. While the Nerazzurri are desperate to keep hold of him, an agreement over a new deal is yet to be reached, leading to speculation about his future.
Should Inter Milan be unable to convince him to extend his stay, they will most certainly have to bring in a replacement. Even if Brozovic does not leave, Simone Inzaghi & co. could do with another quality midfielder in their ranks amid question marks over the suitability of Matias Vecino and Roberto Gagliardini. To that end, Majer has emerged as a viable transfer target for the Serie A bigwigs.
The 23-year-old’s contract with Rennes runs till the summer of 2026. However, it has been indicated that they may be willing to offload him for a fee of €35 million. It remains to be seen if either Real Madrid or Inter Milan make a swoop for Majer come the summer transfer window.
