Real Madrid see hopes of signing centre-back this summer fade – Football España

Real Madrid are set to perform further surgery on their squad this summer after spending €165m this past summer. Despite signing Dean Huijsen, with Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba potentially on their way out, centre-back is again a priority position for Los Blancos.

One of their central targets has been Dayot Upamecano, who fit Real Madrid’s policy of attempting to sign established stars on free transfers. The Frenchman is out of contract in the summer, and recently Los Blancos ‘sped up talks’ with centre-back targets. This coupled with the news that Upamecano had not responded to Bayern Munich’s renewal offer for weeks was taken as a positive sign for Real Madrid.

Upamecano misses contract deadline

The Bavarian giants had given Upamecano until Sunday night to give them an answer on their contract, a deadline that Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports DE says the France international allowed to pass. Bayern then withdrew their offer the following day. However it is explained that Upamecano himself went back to the club shortly after in order to declare that he wanted to sign a new deal.

As such, an agreement has been reached for Upamecano to extend his deal until 2030. It more or less ends any pursuit from Real Madrid. Recent talk has suggested that Upamecano was keen to extend, but his agents felt they could get more out of the deal.

🚨✍️ As revealed exclusively live on our Deadline Day show today, Dayot #Upamecano has agreed to a contract extension.

Shortly beforehand, FC Bayern had withdrawn their offer. Moments later, the player himself went to the club and made it clear that he wanted to extend.

Bayern… pic.twitter.com/T9ZxYDTK2F

— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) February 2, 2026

Real Madrid turn attentions elsewhere

Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck was reportedly Bayern’s alternative to Upamecano, and Real Madrid have also been linked with him, but in Spain, the word is that they are not interested in the Germany international. That said, Los Blancos do seemingly have an interest in another Bundesliga centre-back that has thus far gone unnamed. In the past, Real Madrid have been credited with an interest in RB Leipzig’s Castello Lukeba.