Real Madrid are obviously in the market for a top center back this summer, even if Madridistas were hoping Florentino Pérez gave the green light for a new signing in the winter.
Los Blancos were already short-handed at center back coming into the season, with both David Alaba and Antonio Rüdiger mildly disappointing in a 2022/23 season without a Champions League or LaLiga title to follow up winning both in 2021/22.
Almost immediately, Éder Militão suffered a torn ACL and then months later, Alaba went down with an ACL tear, too.
Absences forced to Nacho and Rüdiger further cut down the depth, to the point where Dani Carvajal and Aurélien Tchouaméni are now admirably filling in as regulars in central defense.
That’s no sustainable, so Real Madrid are zeroing in on top young CBs to pair with Militão. Leny Yoro looks like the favored option for Madrid, but António Silva and Giorgio Scalvini are two more to consider.
Now, a top young center back is trying to get himself on Real’s radar, RB Lepizig’s Mohamed Simakan.
The current Champions League Round of 16 opponent said, via Diario AS, “A match against Real Madrid is a match against Real Madrid. I hope to be able to show against Real Madrid that I can be considered a top-level CB.”
Simakan is motivated to upset Real like any other opponent, but he especially wants to do well so they feel like they have to have him as a defender.
That’s a great mentality to have, and it is a clear attempt by Simakan to get himself on Real’s radar. In truth, he probably already was, ever since his days at Strasbourg when he had a brilliant season, leading to his move to Leipzig.
Versatile and capable of playing top-class defense at right back, Simakan is still only 23 years old despite being on his fourth season of regular starting experience in a top-five league.
Real Madrid have faced Simakan in the Champions League before. He is a great one-on-one defender, composed on the ball, and checks off all the boxes physically.
A more affordable option than Yoro, Simakan is worth keeping on the list.
Real will likely go all-in for Yoro, but if they end up losing more than just Nacho this summer (nobody but Militão should be 100 percent safe), double-dipping for Simakan as a possible CB and even RB backup is not a bad idea.