What’s the story?
Real Madrid are eyeing up a move for Paris St-Germain right-back, Thomas Meunier, according to a report in Spanish news outlet, MARCA. The move is heavily dependant on Los Blancos defender Danilo leaving the club for either Juventus or Chelsea, as Zinedine Zidane seeks to ensure he has two players in every position of his already deep Real Madrid squad. PSG will reportedly seek a fee in the range of €35 million, according to French journalists, but Madrid hope to negotiate that down further.
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In case you didn’t know
Thomas Meunier made a name for himself in his native Belgium for Club Brugge, before Paris St-Germain parted with €7 million last summer, to bring him to the Parc des Princes. The Belgian has impressed plenty this season with his solid performances at the back, including a couple of memorable strikes such as the one against Barcelona in the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League.
The heart of the matter
Meunier’s record against Barcelona might endear him to Real Madrid fans, but they would also remember him from pre-season last year, where he scored two goals for PSG in a 3-1 win over Los Blancos in the International Champions Cup. The fullback has a contract with PSG until 2020, which might see Real Madrid have to meet PSG’s asking price of €35 million.
The La Liga champions might have the spare change to pay for Meunier though, as Florentino Perez is asking for a fee of 35 million for Danilo, with Juventus baulking at the price, while Chelsea seem more amenable.
Madrid can also afford to take advantage of Meunier’s situation, as the Belgian defender is likely to not get much game time as Dani Alves’ contract with PSG assures him minutes on the pitch, whereas Zinedine Zidane’s rotation policy would provide Meunier with a better chance of first-team action.
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Author’s Take:
Zinedine Zidane has included youngsters Terejo and Achraf Hakimi in his pre-season tour, so Real Madrid could find an internal solution if Danilo does leave. However, the prospect of bringing in a solid 26-year-old with Champions League experience to provide competition for Dani Carvajal could prove to be too tempting for Florentino Perez to let go.
