Real Madrid cut centre-back shortlist to two options amid defensive woes

Real Madrid have decided to improve their defensive unit this summer, and the club have cut down their shortlist to two names, according to Fichajes.

Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck is the preferred option, with Tottenham Hotspur’s Cristian Romero also being considered.

Schlotterbeck has established himself as one of the first names on Dortmund’s teamsheet every week since arriving in a €20m deal from SC Freiburg in 2022.

Romero, like most Spurs players this season, has had an up-and-down campaign. His four league goals are tied for second on the team with fellow centre-back Micky van de Ven, but the Argentine World Cup-winner has been sent off twice, in losses to Liverpool and Man Utd.

Madrid are looking for players in their prime, as the youthful duo of Dean Huijsen and Raul Asencio have proved inconsistent while the aging and oft-injured pair of David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger have not seen much playing time.

Centre-back woes hurt Los Blancos

Real Madrid are top of the table in La Liga and have conceded the fewest goals with 19, but things are a different story in the Champions League.

In the League Phase, six teams were able to limit their goals-conceded averages to one goal per game or better. Madrid was not one of those squads.

They conceded 12 goals in eight games, including four to Benfica in the final matchday, and the 4-2 defeat meant Los Blancos finished ninth and would meet Benfica again in the play-off round.

While Inter Milan and Arsenal, who had the two best defences in the 2024/25 League Phase, were among the best once again in 2025/26, Madrid were also behind the likes of Tottenham, Liverpool, Sporting Club de Portugal, and Chelsea, among others, in this season’s goals-conceded rankings.

Romero played a key role in Tottenham finishing fourth, putting them straight into the round of 16. Schlotterbeck’s Dortmund conceded 17 goals and finished 17th, but the club owns the second-best goals-conceded record in the Bundesliga with 20 allowed in 22 matches.

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