Real Madrid wants another defender after luring Ibrahima Konate from Liverpool

Real Madrid is preparing a bid for Manchester City defender Ruben Dias, with the Portugal international said to be open to a new challenge at the Bernabeu, as Jose Mourinho targets a summer swoop

Jose Mourinho is planning an ambitious £80 million ($107 million) move for Manchester City’s Ruben Dias.

Real Madrid is growing increasingly optimistic about its chances of tempting Dias to the Bernabeu. The Spanish team has already secured the services of one top Premier League defender this summer, having agreed to sign Ibrahima Konate on a free transfer from Liverpool. That transfer hasn’t officially been announced yet.

Mourinho has returned to Real for his second stint in the dugout and has identified Dias as one of his key summer acquisitions. Real president Florentino Perez is prepared to support Mourinho and is now readying an opening offer for the defender.

However, City is determined to fend off any approach from the Spanish team.

Incoming manager Enzo Maresca views the Portuguese center-back as vital to his blueprint at the Etihad.

John Stones’s exit has only heightened Dias’s importance to the squad.

City brought Dias in from Benfica in 2020. Since then, he has contributed to City claiming 11 major honors — including the Treble in 2023.

However, Pep Guardiola’s departure has raised questions over the futures of several City players. These include Dias, who remains tied to the club until 2028, but may fancy a fresh chapter, having secured every available trophy in Manchester.

The center-back is part of Portugal’s World Cup squad and eager to focus on the tournament.

Yet the attraction of a switch to Real will prove hard to resist for someone like Dias, whom Mourinho has earmarked to partner Antonio Rudiger in defense.

Real officials are also closely monitoring Dias’s City colleague, Rodri.

The Ballon d’Or winner has been on Real’s radar for some time, but even Perez acknowledges that pulling off a dual transfer with City would be extremely difficult.

However, City is powerless to prevent Bernardo Silva from making that switch, as he is poised to join the Spanish club as a free agent once the tournament concludes.

He closed the chapter on his illustrious City career at season’s end and is now at liberty to embark on a fresh challenge.