Real Madrid accelerate Arsenal and Tottenham transfer plan as North London Derby visit scheduled

Real Madrid have put Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur on red alert ahead of this weekend’s North London Derby. The Spanish giants were heavily linked with a few players from either side during the summer transfer window but, after breaking the bank to sign Kylian Mbappe, moves failed to materialise.

After agreeing a deal to sign Endrick in December 2022, Real Madrid finally welcomed the teenage sensation to the Santiago Bernabeu just days after his 18th birthday. Then, Los Blancos announced the signing of Mbappe on a free transfer but with the Frenchman set for a whopping £85m signing-on bonus according to reports.

Carlo Ancelotti only welcomed two new faces to the club in the summer – both of which were strikers. Now, the Italian appears determined to further bolster his defence despite already boasting a wealth of options at the back.

According to Spanish publication Defensa Central, Real Madrid have sent their chief scout, Juni Calafat, to North London this weekend to take a closer look at William Saliba and Cristian Romero. The duo will, of course, lock horns when Tottenham host Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.

The report states that the Spanish giants believe Saliba and Romero have ‘enormous potential’ and that they would be perfect for the club’s project. The defenders, who valued at a combined €145m (£122.5m) by Transfermarkt, both see their respective contracts expire in June 2027.

Signing Saliba and Romero could prove difficult, though. In January 2024, Ange Postecoglou was full of praise for the Argentina and his partner at the back, Micky van de Ven.

“Micky and Romero, to come in literally with a week’s training and perform like that here, I can’t speak highly enough of them,” the Spurs head coach told the club’s official website. The duo have since become a staple in the Tottenham starting lineup, and look irreplaceable at the back.

Then, in April 2024, Mikel Arteta heaped tremendous praise on the Frenchman and his partner in crime, Gabriel Magalhães. The Arsenal boss said: “You can see a balance and they complement each other.

“They are so happy to play with each other. It just flows. They have been really, really good,” added Arteta. “Saliba is a massive player for us and you see the impact he has on the team. We need everyone but he is really important.”