Barcelona set to lose €40m transfer battle for La Liga starlet to Real Madrid

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Barcelona and Real Madrid both have issues in defence, but reports claim that the latter has won the transfer battle for a top Spanish talent this summer.

While the Catalan giants have never really successfully found a long-term solution at right-back after Dani Alves departed, Madrid have a lack of depth in that department behind Dani Carvajal.

SEE MORE: Lionel Messi crucial as Barcelona hold advantage over Man Utd in transfer battle for Dutch starlet

That has seen them play individuals out of position on the right side to try and fill the void when the Spanish international has been unavailable, and so naturally it’s an area that Zinedine Zidane would have wanted to address.

As for Ernesto Valverde, with summer signing Nelson Semedo failing to make the position his own, it’s been Sergi Roberto who has filled in as he has continued to display his impressive versatility. However, a natural right-back capable of being the number one option for the foreseeable future has to be the priority.

According to Don Balon, as re-reported by The Express, both Spanish giants set their sights on Real Sociedad right-back Alvaro Odriozola, but it’s Real Madrid who have been tipped to win the race for the 22-year-old this summer, who has a reported €40m release clause in his contract.

Odriozola has made 35 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring once and providing four assists to show he can have an offensive impact too, while he now has two caps for the senior Spain side as he continues to develop his game and make his case to be the long-term option for them too.

Now, he may get the opportunity to showcase his quality at an entirely new level, with Madrid said to be confident a deal will be done while Don Balon add that Lionel Messi has been made aware of the situation which doesn’t really seem to matter too much or have any influence on the outcome.

Should a move materialise to the capital though, it will certainly give Carvajal motivation to ensure that he remains the top choice at the Bernabeu.

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