Real Madrid target to sign new contract with €40m release clause

Right-back is a position that Real Madrid will address over the next 12-18 months, but their plans to sign one of their targets look to have taken a hit as he is about to pen a new contract at his current club.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is Real Madrid’s dream target, and while a deal to bring him in from Liverpool is very close to completion, he may not be the only right-back that is signed in the coming years – especially as both Dani Carvajal and Lucas Vazquez will need to be replaced, with both players coming to the end of their respective playing careers.

And should another right-back, one of the options that Real Madrid have been studying is Juanlu Sanchez. The 21-year-old has been tracked by club officials for well over a year, during which he has showed his class for Sevilla as both a defender and midfielder.

Like with Alexander-Arnold, Real Madrid had hoped to pick up Juanlu as a free agent upon the expiry of his contract in 2026. However, that will no longer be possible, with ED reporting that he has agreed a new deal with Sevilla that will see him remain at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan until the end of the 2028-29 season.

As part of his new contract, Juanlu’s release clause will also increase. It currently stands at €20m, but upon the agreement being finalised, it will double to €40m, making it even more difficult for Real Madrid to sign him.

It would be very difficult to see Real Madrid make a move for Juanlu now, unless he drastically increases his level further to the point that his €40m release clause would be considered a bargain. That could certainly happen over the coming years, so there is little doubt that Los Blancos officials will continue following him.