The Spanish newspaper Marca reported that Real Madrid has begun evaluating several options to strengthen its defense for the upcoming season, focusing on free transfers to avoid significant financial spending.

According to the report, the list of candidates includes Ibrahima Konaté, the Liverpool defender, who is the primary candidate to join Real Madrid at the end of the current season after his contract expires.

The newspaper added that Real Madrid's list also includes Dayot Upamecano, the Bayern Munich defender, as well as Crystal Palace defender Marc Guéhi, noting that both players' contracts expire in the summer.

The newspaper further stated that the list may see other surprises as monitoring continues until next summer, while Juan Martínez, a defender from Real Madrid's academy who has recently recovered from a long injury, is considered the team's greatest hope to strengthen the back line from within the club.