Faced with the accumulation of injuries that have plagued Real Madrid in recent months, Carlo Ancelotti had a clear idea to strengthen his defense.
He asked Florentino Pérez for a reinforcement. "Either him or no one." Ultimately, it was no one.
Real Madrid will finish the season with what they have and will rely on the youth academy and Tchouaméni to cover their absences in the defense.
Ancelotti looked to Barça for the solution to his problems
Ancelotti knew he wasn't doing well at Barça. And that the emergence of Cubarsí, combined with Íñigo Martínez's privileged position, left him out of the spotlight for a starting position.
Moreover, he hadn't renewed his contract, and Laporta was open to his sale. It was when Juventus seemed to have him in the bag that the white club reacted.
Real Madrid contacted Ronald Araújo's camp to seek a way out of Barça that would allow him to sign for Real Madrid.
Ronald Araújo ultimately signed a contract extension with Barcelona until 2031, and the matter was considered closed.
Back and forth with the clause
But it wasn't entirely closed. His release clause went from 1 billion to 65, making his price reasonable according to market laws.
However, in recent hours, new details of that renewal have come to light that have a lot to do with Real Madrid.
Laporta was aware of the white club's moves to acquire his player, and he wanted to shield him to avoid future headaches. One thing was to transfer him to Juventus, and quite another for him to end up wearing white.
Special price for Real Madrid: 300 million
Relevo has reported that the 65 million clause rises to 80 on January 1, 2026. And Marca claims that the clause remains at 1 billion except for ten market days in July, when it would be reduced to 70 million. Then the 1 billion would be reinstated.
Finally, Miguel Rico shed light on the matter on Catalunya Ràdio. The clause would remain at 65 million, unless the interested party is Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Chelsea, or PSG. In that case, the price would rise above 300 million.
This way, Joan Laporta covers his back by making Araújo's signing impossible for Real Madrid. And Carlo Ancelotti is the one who regrets it the most.
The Italian coach saw Araújo leading his defense for a moment, and now he will have to settle for what the youth academy can provide with Militão, Rüdiger, Alaba, and Carvajal injured.