Transfer: Real Madrid target Bayern’s Alphonso Davies

Real Madrid are keen to sign Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies in 18 months’ time, AS understands.

Following the recent capture of Brazilian starlet Endrick, who is due to join Madrid when he turns 18 in summer 2024, Los Blancos continue to scour the market for further fresh blood. Davies, 22, has been identified as a target who could be brought in during the same close-season period.

Davies’ searing pace appeals to Real Madrid

Madrid’s scouting reports on Davies offer glowing reviews of the Canada left-back, who boasts pace, power and plenty of top-level experience. Since joining Bayern in 2019, he has made 134 appearances – scoring six goals and supplying 21 assists – and has won 12 trophies, including the Champions League in 2020.

His physical prowess, a factor which is more and more important in elite football, is what has particularly caught Madrid’s eye.

Davies is so quick that he clocked the second-highest speed at the World Cup: 35.6km/h, behind only the 35.7km/h achieved by Ghana’s Kamaldeen Sulemana. In the Bundesliga, he’s third this season, having reached 36km/h (Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong leads the way on 36.52km/h.

World Cup performances went down well at Madrid

Madrid were impressed by Davies’ displays in Qatar. There were few doubts about his ability to perform on the biggest stage, given that he had already established himself as one of the globe’s best left-backs, but the leadership he showed at the tournament is indicative of the kind of personality that will fit in well in the high-pressure environment at the Bernabéu.

Although Davies missed a penalty in Canada’s 1-0 defeat to Belgium, he bounced back with a goal against Croatia that briefly left Canadians dreaming of a famous victory. The Croats recovered to win 4-1, and a 2-1 reverse to Morocco then ensured the North Americans went home pointless, but Davies demonstrated exactly why he’s viewed as the leader of a generation that is sparking real optimism in Canada.

Madrid to adopt familiar transfer strategy

Madrid’s strategy for luring the Ghana-born star to Spain is one the club have routinely followed in recent years. As was the case with previous signings such as Toni Kroos and Eden Hazard, Los Merengues plan to swoop for Davies when he has 12 months left on his contract, allowing club president Florentino Pérez to negotiate a knockdown fee for a player who would currently cost at least €100m to prise from Bayern’s clutches.

Davies would certainly fit right into Madrid’s transfer policy of snapping up elite young talent. With Endrick already signed up, the Spanish and European champions are targeting 19-year-old Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham in 2023, and are also eyeing a 2024 move for Manchester City striker Erling Braut Haaland, 21.

A welcome addition on the left

Davies would also represent an upgrade in a position where neither Ferland Mendy nor David Alaba – who are 27 and 30, respectively – have proved to be the ideal solution. Mendy is extremely solid defensively, but is more limited in his attacking capabilities. Alaba, meanwhile, has played seven times at left-back this season, but has been more comfortable at centre-back. Indeed, Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti even tried Antonio Rüdiger out on the left in pre-season, so as to have another alternative.

Olocip, a firm that specialises in applying artificial intelligence to football analysis, predicts that Davies would perform better at left-back than Mendy or Alaba. The company, which was founded by former Madrid midfielder Esteban Granero, calculates a 96% rating for the Canadian; the Frenchman and the Austrian, on the other hand, score 93% and 84%, respectively. (AS English)