Lille have reportedly targeted Arda Guler as a makeweight in any potential move that would see Leny Yoro join Real Madrid.
Teenage defender Yoro has enjoyed a breakout season with Les Dogues this season, after making his debut in May 2022, and playing 15 times for the first team last season.
Yoro has now become a regular at the French club, and is gaining attention from some of the biggest clubs in Europe.
Chelsea and Manchester United are believed to be the Premier League clubs showing interest in the 18-year-old, but it has been reported that the player prefers the idea of a move to Real Madrid.
With Lille resigned to the fact that they are likely going to have to sell the youth prodigy next season, Defensa Central claim that they will look to strengthen their own squad as part of the deal.
The report states that Lille are eyeing up a loan move for Arda Guler in the summer, in which case they would be willing to lower the transfer fee Real Madrid have to pay for Yoro.
© Reuters
Allowing Guler to move to Northern France will reportedly see Lille accept a fee of €60m (£51.25m) for Yoro, removing the need for the Ligue 1 club to pay a loan fee.
Real Madrid are believed to be in the market for a new young defender given the age and the contract status of many of the current centre-backs at the club.
Nacho is now 34 and out of contract in the summer, while Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba are both the wrong side of 30, with Eder Militao also nursing a season-ending knee injury at present.
That has forced Carlo Ancelotti to rely on Aurelien Tchouameni as a central defender in recent weeks, while Dani Carvajal has also been forced into the centre due to injuries picked up by Alaba and Rudiger.
Gaining Yoro and seeing Guler move to Lille on a loan deal could be hugely beneficial to Los Blancos in the long-term too, considering Lille's track record with developing young players.
Eden Hazard remains the finest player to come off a long conveyor belt at Lille, as Rafael Leao, Victor Osimhen, Mike Maignan and Gabriel Magalhaes all got their big breaks with Les Dogues.
Guler has made just seven appearances since joining from Fenerbahce last summer, only one of which was a start, against fourth-tier Arandina in the Copa del Rey, so increased game time away from the Bernabeu may be on the cards for the Turkish teenager next season.
Andrew Delaney
