Real Madrid will pay 8M to sign the in-demand center-back

The aspect that is drawing the most attention among the board of Real Madrid is the situation of the defensive line. For several seasons now, injuries have been weighing down one of the best back lines in Europe. Courtois, Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, and Mendy, who won the 2022 Champions League against Liverpool, have had to stop for several months at some point.

This scenario, together with the lack of valid alternatives, forces Real Madrid's hierarchy to look for solutions in the transfer market. It is not only a question of quantity, but of reliability, because the season is decided by details and the margin for improvisation has been reduced. When the starting defenders are missing, the team loses automatisms and the unit suffers, no matter how brilliant the attack is.

This is why, looking ahead to next season, Florentino Pérez is considering the possibility of bringing in a reliable center-back. Names such as Upamecano, Guéhi, Konaté, or Schlotterbeck have been mentioned for weeks as possible signings, each of them with very specific strengths. All of them would be high-level reinforcements, but they also involve costly deals, fierce competition in the market, and top-tier salaries.

Real Madrid will pay 8 million to sign the center-back of the moment

However, it seems that within Bernabéu they are sure who must be chosen: the center-back of the moment in Europe costs only 8 million euros. The decision doesn't respond solely to performance, but to the strategic planning of a club that always tries to get ahead of market inflation. Real Madrid knows that the best business is not to sign the one everyone wants at a sky-high price, but to bring back in time the one who is already yours.

Yes, because Jacobo Ramón is completing a sensational season at Como under Cesc's orders. The defender, raised in Real Madrid's academy, had to pack his bags in the summer due to a lack of opportunities. He left because he needed to play, grow, and make mistakes away from the spotlight that magnifies everything in Chamartín.

This season, Jacobo Ramón has started in 12 matches and has scored 3 goals. But beyond the numbers, the impressions he leaves match after match are of maximum growth, because he conveys security in the box and personality when playing out from the back. His evolution is especially striking in aerial play, where he is dominating duels, and in his reading to anticipate, which is something key in Italian soccer.

Real Madrid will activate Jacobo Ramón's clause, but his future at Bernabéu is not guaranteed

Jacobo Ramón's market value already reaches 18 million, but thanks to Florentino's astuteness, his return to Bernabéu will be completed for 8 million. It is an enormous difference, and it perfectly defines how Real Madrid protect their sporting assets. In a scenario where center-backs are rising in value, paying 8 million for a footballer of such caliber is almost a bargain.

Now it only remains to see what the white club will do with Jacobo Ramón. Xabi Alonso may decide to keep him, because he needs legs, hunger, and a profile that fits a more aggressive and higher defensive line. But there is also the option of cashing in on his services and generating major profits.

The final decision will depend on two factors: the planning of the defense and the level of trust that Xabi Alonso has in his immediate adaptation. If the coach believes that he can compete from day one, Jacobo Ramón will become the perfect signing in terms of price and potential. If not, Real Madrid, as always, will have in their hands the possibility of turning talent into profit.