Real Madrid are the overwhelming favorites to win LaLiga after destroying second-place Girona this past weekend, and they got off to the right start in the Champions League with a 1-0 Round of 16 victory over RB Leipzig.
The Merengues stand a good chance at winning the UCL this season after a disappointing demolition exit at the hands of eventual winners Manchester City last season.
Although Real lost legendary striker Karim Benzema this past summer and did not replace him with a superstar forward, Jude Bellingham’s goal-scoring surge in an attacking midfield role has made up for the loss.
Meanwhile, what truly holds back Madrid is a defense decimated by injuries and with continued issues at left back, even after the return of Rayo Vallecano standout Fran García.
ACL tears to Éder Militão and David Alaba have left Madrid precariously thin at center back, but, even before that, there were concerns about the starter next to the Brazilian star.
Real need to sign a top left back, with Alphonso Davies being the favorite, and the Kylian Mbappé transfer rumors aren’t dying off any time soon.
Yet it appears Lille center back Leny Yoro is starting to emerge as the actual top transfer target for Real Madrid in the summer 2024 market, with Fabrizio Romano reporting the club is set to send even more scouts to watch him in February.
Yoro is only 18 years old, yet he is already one of the best center backs in all of European football, leading a Champions League charge for Les Dogue.
Composed with the ball at his feet and brilliant beyond his years at reading the game, Yoro is an even better ascending center back for Real Madrid to sign than the one from LaLiga they let go to Barcelona without a fight, Jules Koundé.
Real need to get younger at CB. Alaba and Nacho appear to be declining, while Rüdiger looks more like a third-choice center back than a regular starter because of his lack of an overall impact.
Davies is a great player and a bigger name, but with Bayern Munich having their own concerns about him, the younger Yoro at the premium position of center back may be the more important investment for Juni Calafat and Co. to push for.
Former editor of The Real Champs and Old Juve, covering Real Madrid and Juventus
