Real Madrid eye January transfer fix after huge injury blow for Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti may be forced to bring in a new centre-back in January after Real Madrid star David Alaba suffered a season-ending injury on Sunday.
Austrian international Alaba was forced off just 35 minutes against Villarreal on Sunday, with veteran Nacho taking his place. Los Blancos still claimed all three points, with Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo, Brahim Diaz and Luka Modric all on target in a 4-1 win, but the loss of Alaba is concerning.
Ancelotti confirmed midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni will serve as his "emergency" option at the heart of the defence, with Alaba joining fellow ACL injury victims Eder Militao and Thibaut Courtois on the sidelines. With Alaba set to miss the business end of the Champions League and the Spanish title race, though, reinforcements are likely to be required.
"The medical report says he's ruptured his cruciate ligament," Ancelotti said after Sunday's victory. "We're really sad about it because he's another player we'll lose.
"I've never had three of my players get cruciate injuries inside three months. What the team has to do is exactly what it's been doing so far, with all the injuries we've had. We've done more than what anyone believed we were capable of. Despite the problems, this team fights, digs in, plays some great football and shows extraordinary commitment.
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"That's the only way to fill in for all the guys who are out injured. We'll see what can be done [in the transfer market] in the coming days."
Who should Real Madrid move for in January? Have your say in the comments section
David Alaba is the third Real Madrid star to suffer an ACL injury this season (Ruben Albarran/REX/Shutterstock)Madrid confirmed Alaba will undergo surgery following his injury, and now attention turns to the transfer market. One of the defenders who has already been linked with the Spanish club is Sporting CP's Goncalo Inacio, though the Spaniards may face competition from Premier League clubs for the youngster.
Inacio, who has a €60million release clause, is also on the radar of Manchester United and Liverpool. The 22-year-old scored twice for Sporting on Thursday night as they beat Sturm Graz in the Europa League, and Ruben Amorim's side will go into the play-off round after finishing second in their group behind Atalanta.
Real Madrid will enter the January transfer window knowing their opponents in the next round of the Champions League, with RB Leipzig awaiting after finishing second behind holders Manchester City in their group. Ancelotti's team last faced the Bundesliga side in the 2022-23 group stage, winning at home but losing 3-2 in Germany.
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