Who is the right right-back for Real?

After David Alaba and Thibaut Courtois, another Real Madrid player will be absent for a long time as the season is probably finished for Dani Carvajal, who suffered an ACL tear against Villareal last Saturday. Regardless, Los Blancos made a move worthy of respect by extending the 32-year-old's contract until 2026. Still, a replacement has to be found, and the options are numerous.

Carvajal's injury hastens Trent's departure from Anfield?

Carlo Ancelotti currently has only Lucas Vazquez at his disposal in Carvajal's position. Real's child used to play the right winger but was eventually moved to the defensive line and would probably be the Italian's first choice on the right flank, perhaps even until the end of the season. According to Marca, they want to take their time at Santiago Bernabeu and are willing to take a risk with Vazquez to evaluate the potential targets thoroughly. At the same time, Real won't hesitate if an option to bring a high-quality player in January appears.

The dilemma in Madrid is tricky: an experienced soon-to-be free agent or a youngster requiring compensation. Marca offers three options for both scenarios. As the "old hands," the Spanish paper highlights Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold, Bayern Munich's Joshua Kimmich, and Denzel Dumfries of Inter Milan. On the other hand, the prospects allegedly are Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong (23), Vanderson (23) of Monaco , and Fiorentina's Michael Kayode (20).

Xabi Alonso's youngster would represent the most expensive option as the Dutchman's estimated value is €63 million, but Lever would undoubtedly demand more. Conversely, Kayode and Vanderson are almost twice the cheaper options but with evidently less experience than Frimpong, who had already won the Bundesliga and played an essential role in Bayer's terrific previous season.

Regarding the experienced trio, Alexander-Arnold has long been mentioned as Real's big wish and Carvajal's injury might hasten the process of his arrival. Kimmich has also previously been considered at Santiago Bernabeu, but as a replacement for Toni Kroos since Bayern's warrior can perform at both the right-back and in the midfield equally well.

Finally, Dumfries reportedly has a verbal agreement with Inter to stay at Giuseppe Meazza, but Los Blancos' eventual pressure on the Dutchman could easily turn the tables. The money would definitely not be a problem for Florentino Perez.