Real Madrid scouting assignment for 20-year-old defender halted amid Brighton interest

Real Madrid had been scouting Sevilla defender Juanlu Sanchez this season, as they keep an eye on potential long-term replacements for Lucas Vazquez and Dani Carvajal. However their efforts to do so have been thwarted.

Juanlu enjoyed an excellent first half of the season, earning a starting spot while Jesus Navas battled injuries, with both Jose Luis Mendilibar and Diego Alonso showing faith in him. However since Navas returned to fitness, Quique Sanchez Flores has turned back to his 38-year-old captain.

As per Diario AS, Real Madrid’s efforts to scout him have been halted by just 15 minutes of action in the last two months. His release clause rose from €15m to €25m in January, with other scouts from the Premier League also present at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, including from Brighton and Hove Albion. Sevilla will allow him to leave this summer for a ‘good offer’, with another young promise in Dario Benavidez coming through the ranks in Nervion behind him.

Certainly during his opening spell in La Liga, Juanlu showed sufficient potential to stand out in a positive sense at such a young age. At such a young age, it is a small sample size to go off, but whomever does take the risk on him could get a bargain. With La Liga sides unlikely to take such a risk it would be no surprise to see him end up in England.

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