Real Madrid eye Bundesliga winner as Trent Alexander-Arnold alternative

Real Madrid have added Bayer Leverkusen wing-back Jeremie Frimpong to their shortlist of right-back targets next summer.

Following Dani Carvajal's ACL injury prior to the October international break - an ailment which will see him miss the remainder of the 2024/25 season - Madrid have been heavily linked with a number of potential successors to Euro 2024 winner.

The most consistently linked right-back has been Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is yet to put pen to paper on a new deal at Anfield despite his current contract being set to expire in summer 2025. Reports in Spain have stated that the capital club are set to make formal contact with Alexander-Arnold in January.

An alternative target to Alexander-Arnold has now emerged however, with Sky Sports Germany's Florian Plettenberg reporting that Real Madrid are monitoring Leverkusen's Frimpong ahead of a potential summer transfer.

The right wing-back was fantastic during Leverkusen's unbeaten double-winning campaign in 2023/24, scoring a rather remarkable 14 goals and bagging 12 assists in all competitions in Xabi Alonso's dynamic attacking set-up.

Frimpong's current contract at the Bay Arena reportedly has a very reasonable €40m release clause attached to it.

Speaking about a potential move back in May, the Dutch international stated that, while he was happy at Leverkusen, he didn't know what the future held: "I'm so happy here. I'm concentrating on the here and now. I don't know what will happen in the future," he remarked.

With any move for a right-back set to be postponed until next summer, Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti looks set to entrust club stalwart Lucas Vazquez as his first choice right-back throughout the remainder of the 2024/25 season.

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