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Real Madrid have been searching for a backup for Casemiro. It now appears that Los Blancos may have found their man in Celta Vigo midfielder Renato Tapia.
According to The Hard Tackle via Defensa Central, the La Liga giants are keeping a close watch on the Peruvian. Real Madrid believe that Tapia could be an ideal understudy to Casemiro and could even replace the dynamic Brazilian in the future.
Tapia arrived at Celta Vigo in the summer of 2020 as a free agent after his contract with Feyenoord expired. The Peruvian hit the ground running and has become an indispensable part of the first team since then.
He has missed only one game this season, and his performances have grabbed the attention of quite a few European heavyweights, with Real Madrid being one of them. Los Blancos got a firsthand impression of the player during their recent game against Celta Vigo in the La Liga.
Zinedine Zidane’s men managed a 3-1 away win; Tapia struggled to have a say in the game, as Toni Kros and Luka Modric took charge of midfield. Despite his poor performance in that match, Real Madrid remain unperturbed and will continue to scout the player with genuine interest.
While his sub-par outing could affect their final scouting report, Los Blancos are expected to keep a close eye on his development in the next few months.
Zidane’s interest in the player is justified, as Casemiro has been the only out-and-out holding midfielder at Real Madrid for quite some time.
And every time the Brazilian has been unavailable, Real Madrid have struggled on the field. Los Blancos have been looking for another defensive midfielder in recent times, and there have been reports that Eduardo Camavinga is on their radar.
However, a move for the Frenchman is not on the club’s agenda at the moment, which means Tapia could be an alternative option for the Los Blancos to explore.
Real Madrid could have an eventful summer ahead
Real Madrid have struggled in the La Liga this season and are currently third in the league table, six points adrift of league leaders Atletico Madrid.
Los Blancos, however, have reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League, where they will face Liverpool. Zidane’s men still have a shot at silverware this season, but there’s no denying that they have underwhelmed this campaign.
Thus Los Blancos could be preparing for an eventful summer ahead. It remains to be seen if Real Madrid back their interest in Tapia with a concrete offer after the season ends.
