Injury-plagued Real Madrid interested in Al-Nassr defender

With Real Madrid defenders David Alaba and Dani Carvajal sidelined by ACL injuries, the club has grown thin on defense. This lack of depth could force Real Madrid to look at reinforcements in the winter market, with some solid options likely available.

Spanish outlet Diario AS (via SI.com) is reporting that Real Madrid remains interested in signing Al-Nassr defender Aymeric Laporte in the January transfer window as the club looks to add reinforcements to an injury-riddled backline.

Real Madrid was a possibility to add Laporte during the summer transfer window, but after the arrivals of Kylian Mbappe and Endrick, the club didn't sign another player, believing that pair was enough for the season. 

Following Carvajal's ACL injury, though, Laporte could be the defensive addition the team needs to solidify a rocky backline. He was an integral part of the Spanish team that won the UEFA Euro during the summer, showing that despite playing his soccer in Saudi Arabia, he is still a top-class defender worthy of playing for a top-tier European club. Laporte has been open about looking for a potential transfer out of Saudi Arabia and Real Madrid could give him that escape route. 

The 30-year-old has significant experience with Spanish soccer, making 222 appearances at Athletic Bilbao before joining Manchester City in 2018 and becoming a key piece in Pep Guardiola's dominant team.

Signing Laporte would be a nice addition for head coach Carlo Ancelotti, who could then rest and rotate either Antonio Rudiger or Eder Militao, the only fit central defenders on the senior team.

It would also allow Ancelotti to shift players positionally in his backline, where the Italian coach could deploy Rudiger and Laporte as the central defenders and Militao playing at right back, in place of the injured Carvajal.  

It's unclear how much it would require to sign Laporte, though. Al-Nassr paid a transfer fee of $30M and the player earns a yearly salary of $27 million. Laporte would need to take a significant cut in his current salary to play for Real Madrid. 

If Laporte and Real Madrid aren't able to come to terms on a lowered salary, the club could look elsewhere in the January market, such as talented 18-year-old Palmeiras defender Vitor Reis, who has been linked to a possible move to Europe at some point in the near future.