Serie A giants AS Roma are reportedly interested in snapping up Nacho from Real Madrid on a loan deal with an option to buy him permanently.
According to a report by Catalan outlet El Nacional, Nacho is the subject of interest from AS Roma over a move in a future transfer window. The Serie A giants are hoping to sign the Real Madrid defender on an initial loan deal with an option to buy him permanently.
Nacho has been with Real Madrid for two decades, joining the club’s famed academy La Fabrica in 2001 from AD Complutense. After spending nearly ten years in Los Blancos’ youth setup, the Spaniard earned his first-team bow in 2011, aged 21. Since then, he has come leaps and bounds, even becoming a member of the Spanish national side.
To date, Nacho has made 242 appearances for Real Madrid, chipping in with 13 goals and eight assists along the way. However, the experienced defender has become disillusioned with his role as a mere backup option season after season and is keen on joining a club where he could be a first-choice player. Such a situation has piqued the interest of AS Roma.
AS Roma made a bright start to life under the tutelage of Jose Mourinho, even appearing as early contenders for the Serie A title. However, the Giallorossi’s campaign has gone pear-shaped in the past month or so, with them winning just one of their last five games in all competitions.
In particular, the heavy defeat to Bodo/Glimt in the UEFA Europa Conference League has opened the typical Mourinho Pandora’s Box, with the former Real Madrid manager ready to make major changes to his squad. As far as the defensive unit is concerned, Mourinho does not rate on-loan Albanian defender Marash Kumbulla highly.
In addition, Chris Smalling is facing an uncertain future at Stadio Olimpico, which explains why AS Roma could be in the market for a centre-back. Therefore, Nacho is a viable target for the Serie A giants, with Mourinho eager to reunite with the Real Madrid defender. The Spaniard would be pursued over an initial loan deal with an option to sign him permanently.
Apart from Nacho, Roma have also been linked with Victor Lindelof, and it is clear that a centre-back is fast becoming a priority for the Serie A heavyweights. Meanwhile, Mourinho is also keen to sign Dani Ceballos, and it will be interesting to see if a double raid on Real Madrid sees the light of the day.