Real Madrid have reportedly set their sights on Atletico Madrid defender Jose Maria Gimenez as a potential replacement for Sergio Ramos.
According to a report by Spanish outlet El Gol Digital, Jose Maria Gimenez has popped up on the radar of Real Madrid over a move in the summer transfer window. The Uruguayan defender is viewed as a long-term replacement for Sergio Ramos, with Atletico Madrid valuing him at around €100 million.
Jose Maria Gimenez has endured a roller-coaster of a ride since joining Atletico Madrid from Danubio as a teenage defensive prospect in 2013. Over the last eight years, he has come leaps and bounds but has also struggled to nail down his spot in the side, which proved to be the case in 2020/21 as well.
To date, Gimenez has turned out 216 times for Atletico Madrid, chipping in with nine goals and eight assists. And despite the fact that he has not been an indispensable figure for Atletico Madrid, the Uruguayan defender remains a highly-regarded player in the transfer market, as suggested by the interest from Real Madrid.
Real Madrid have been sent scrambling into the transfer market for a centre-back this summer, owing to the fact that Sergio Ramos has called it quits at the Santiago Bernabeu. In addition, the future of Raphael Varane is hardly set in stone, with Manchester United and PSG hot on his trails.
However, it is the departure of Ramos, whose next destination is still unclear, that is forcing Real Madrid to dip their toes in the transfer market for a centre-back. To that end, they have identified several options to bolster the heart of their defence, including Pau Torres, Jules Kounde and others, with Jose Maria Gimenez now emerging on their radar.
The interest in the Atletico Madrid defender is a tad bit surprising, considering a trade between the two rivals might not be straightforward, while his €100 million valuation complicates matters even more. As far as Atletico Madrid are concerned, with Pau Torres in their sights, Gimenez could well be made available for a shock transfer to Real Madrid.
Gimenez, on his part, has previously reaffirmed that he is content at Atletico Madrid, meaning pulling off a swoop might be a tall order for Real Madrid. Whether they will be open to meeting his €100 million valuation also remains to be seen, and this is a transfer that might never see the light of the day.
