Report: Real Madrid make transfer decision on Sergio Ramos return as three-man shortlist emerges | OneFootball

Real Madrid have reportedly ruled out bringing club legend Sergio Ramos back to the Santiago Bernabeu and have instead drawn up three-man shortlist of emergency centre-back replacements, according to Spanish reports.

Carlo Ancelotti lost three players to injury in a chaotic first half against Osasuna on Saturday. While Rodrygo and Lucas Vazquez were both able to walk off the pitch, centre-back Eder Militao had to be stretchered to the treatment room after wailing in agony.

Real Madrid have subsequently confirmed that the Brazilian defender suffered a complete tear of his ACL - his second in 15 months, ruling him out for the remainder of the campaign.

Fellow centre-back David Alaba still hasn't returned from a similar issue which he sustained last year. Madrid didn't sign any defenders over the summer, but released club captain Nacho Fernandez, who could play anywhere across the backline. Dani Carvajal and Aurelien Tchouameni have both filled in at centre-back over recent years but are also out injured.

This proliferation of defensive absences prompted the iconic former midfielder Guti to suggest a potential return for another living legend, Sergio Ramos. The former skipper spent 16 trophy-laden years in Madrid before joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2021. Ramos moved back to his boyhood club Sevilla last season on a short one-year deal which expired in June.

Sergio Ramos scored 101 goals for Real Madrid / James Williamson - AMA/GettyImages

Despite his availability as a free agent, Real Madrid have distanced themselves from any potential Ramos return, according to the Spanish outlet Diario AS. The free-scoring defender turned 38 in March and still managed to start 28 league games last term. However, the muted response he received upon his return to the Santiago Bernabeu in February was a reflection of the frosty relationship which exists between the player and the club's hierarchy.

According to the report in AS, it was an almost unanimous decision to not bring Ramos back after he had spent his final years in Madrid clashing with club president Florentino Perez. The board did agree that the squad would need another centre-back in January and listed Aymeric Laporte, Castello Lukeba and Jonathan Tah as the three major candidates.

Laporte is the experienced option. The former Athletic Club centre-back won six Premier League titles with Manchester City and was a regular in Spain's European Championship-winning side, despite spending the last 12 months in the Saudi Pro League with Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr.

RB Leipzig's Lukeba is at the other end of his career. The French 21-year-old has been linked with a move to Madrid already this season, but only extended his contract with the Bundesliga outfit in October and boasts a £75m buyout clause.

Reigning German champion Jonathan Tah has recently emerged as a potential alternative. The sought-after Bayer Leverkusen centre-back will be out of contract in the summer and is thought to be a target for several Premier League clubs. Madrid could get the jump on their English counterparts if they stump up a fee for the 28-year-old in January.