Real Madrid turn attention to Germany star to fix defensive woes as club discards Sergio Ramos reunion

Real Madrid have shortlisted Bayer Leverkusen and Germany star Jonathan Tah to shore up their defence, a report from AS states.

Tah, who's 28 years old, is contracted with the reigning Bundesliga champions until June 30, 2025. Madrid want to take advantage of the fact that Leverkusen could lose their defensive talisman for free in the summer, and sign him for a reduced fee this winter.

Meanwhile, the club have decided that Sergio Ramos is not an option.

The legendary defender left Madrid at the end of the 2020-21 campaign and spent two seasons at PSG, before making a shock return to his first club, Sevilla, in 2023.

Now, he finds himself without a club. And Madrid, without much depth in defence. However, Ramos won't be returning to the Spanish capital.

Club president Florentino Perez and his fellow board members are convinced that the Ramos chapter is closed for good, with no route for a reunion. Instead, the club have turned their focus towards signing one of Spanish international Aymeric Laporte (Al-Nassr), Leipzig's 21-year-old Lukeba, or Leverkusen's Tah.

Eder Militao's second ACL injury in two seasons — which he suffered in the team's 4-0 thrashing of Osasuna last weekend — has further compounded Madrid's issues at the back.

Los Blancos are desperate to sign a defender in the upcoming winter transfer window, but they know it won't be easy to sign either Laporte or Lukeba. The club does not want to spend around €20 million on a player who'll turn 31 in May. As for Lukeba, he has a contract until 2029 with Leipzig. Signing a player by spending an exorbitant amount in January has been against Madrid's transfer policy, and they are well aware that Leipzig won't let the French centre-back go for cheap.

Real Madrid were left with just three fit centre-backs ahead of the start of the current campaign: Antonio Rudiger, Eder Militao, and Jesus Vallejo. The departure of Nacho was not compensated for in the summer, leaving Madrid thin at the heart of the defence considering the absence of David Alaba due to an ACL injury he suffered midway through the 2023-24 season.

With Carlo Ancelotti's reluctance to use Vallejo and the continued absence of Alaba, Militao's recent ACL injury has raised alarm bells at the club. Madrid are desperate to sign at least one centre-back in the winter transfer window, with Tah among the leading candidates.

It remains to be seen whether Madrid capture a defender's signature this winter. Ancelotti has preferred to use Aurelien Tchouameni as a makeshift centre-back in recent seasons, but his injury has further exacerbated the situation. For now, though, Madrid are scheduled to take on Leganes in LaLiga following the international break on November 24. They are six points behind Barcelona, with a game in hand.