Real Madrid plan to swoop for 22-year-old defender if Leny Yoro move fails – report

It is no secret that Real Madrid want to sign Leny Yoro from Real Madrid this summer to replace Nacho Fernandez, who left the club as a free agent.

The 18-year-old Yoro wants to move to the Santiago Bernabeu but negotiations with his club, Lille, are proving to be an obstacle.

After all, the Ligue 1 heavyweights are demanding a mammoth fee of €70 million for the defender, even though his contract expires in 2025.

Real Madrid, for their part, have no intentions of meeting that figure, which could lead to the transfer falling through.

Real Madrid will move for Calafiori if Yoro doesn’t arrive

Over the past week, there have been contradicting reports emerging regarding Real Madrid’s interest in Bologna and Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori.

Continuing the trend, AS now reports that Real Madrid indeed see the 22-year-old as a Plan B if they are unable to reach an agreement with Lille for Leny Yoro.

Calafiori enjoyed a solid 2023/24 season with Bologna, helping them finish in the top five of Serie A and showcased his level in the few opportunities he got the Euros.

Following that, the Italian defender is attracting strong interest from the Premier League while Real Madrid also seem to have taken note of his qualities.

However, what is clear is that the Merengues see Yoro’s signing as the absolute priority. Only if a move for the Frenchman does not materialise for some reason will they consider exploring the signing of Calafiori.

But with the likes of Arsenal said to be keen on signing the Bologna man, it appears more likely that he ends up in the Premier League while Real Madrid continue focusing on signing Yoro.