Real Madrid are reportedly weighing up the prospect of signing Oihan Sancet, valued at around €30 million by La Liga club Athletic Bilbao.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Defensa Central, Oihan Sancet is the subject of interest from Real Madrid over a possible move in a future transfer window. The Spanish giants are closely monitoring the progress of the 21-year-old midfielder, valued at €30 million by La Liga club Athletic Bilbao.
Oihan Sancet joined Athletic Bilbao’s youth setup from Osasuna in 2015 before making swift progress through the ranks at the Basque outfit. The young midfielder made his first-team breakthrough in August 2019, aged just 19. And since then, the player has continued on his upward trajectory, establishing himself as a regular for Los Leones.
To date, the 21-year-old has turned out 61 times for Athletic Bilbao, chipping in with seven goals and six assists in the process. Most recently, Sancet made waves by scoring a hat-trick in a La Liga game against CA Osasuna this past weekend. The youngster exploits have not gone unnoticed either, with Real Madrid among the clubs to have set sights on him.
The interest from Real Madrid makes a world of sense amid the uncertainties surrounding the futures of Gareth Bale, Mariano Diaz, Luka Jovic and Eden Hazard. While Sancet started his career as a midfielder, he has featured as a striker and a second striker for much of the ongoing campaign.
So, the 21-year-old could end up replacing Mariano, who has recently been linked with AS Roma, if signed by Real Madrid. Conversely, if he reverts to his midfield roots, Sancet could also be an option in the succession plan being laid for Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.
The two ageing stalwarts are approaching the final period of their glittering careers and could start getting phased out soon by Real Madrid. As a result, the Spanish giants need to be look for possible successors, with Ryan Gravenberch, Florian Neuhaus and Denis Zakaria among their targets.
Sancet could also be a solution to that end, with the 21-year-old potentially being an option for various positions in the squad. And signing the youngster will not set Real Madrid back by much, with Athletic Bilbao slapping a €30 million price tag on him.
While a chunk of Real Madrid’s summer budget will be assigned towards securing the services of Erling Haaland, shelling out €30 million on Sancet might not be beyond Los Blancos. For now, the Merengues are simply tracking the 21-year-old’s progress, and it will be interesting to see if they firm up their interest in the summer.