Real Madrid lining up shock FREE transfer for World Cup winner: report

Real Madrid are in the middle of assembling a superstar squad ahead of the 2024/25 season - and a World Cup winner is now being lined up at the Bernabeu.

Kylian Mbappe, Endrick and Joselu have all arrived at Real Madrid so far on permament transfers, adding to the likes of Jude Bellingham, Luka Modric, Vinicius Jr and Aurelien Tchouameni.

But the European champions aren't content with stopping there - more signings are expected this summer, with a bargain deal possible in the transfer window.

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According to Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport , Real Madrid are looking to sign Mats Hummels for free this summer, after losing out on the signing of Leny Yoro.

Hummels left Borussia Dortmund at the end of the 2024/25 season following the conclusion of his contract, despite putting in plenty of excellent performances on the way to the Champions League final.

Reports suggested that the German World Cup winner would end up moving to Serie A side Bologna this summer, but Real Madrid have now entered the race for the 35-year-old's signature. This has caused Hummels to reconsider his options, with the offer of a one-year deal at the European champions potentially too good for him to turn down.

Should Hummels decide to move to Real Madrid, he will likely become the club's fourth-choice centre-back. Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba and Eder Militao will all be preferred ahead of him, though the departure of Nacho this summer opens the door for the German to make a good amount of appearances in 2024/25.

In FourFourTwo 's view, signing Hummels would represent good business for Real Madrid. While his wages will still cost a fair amount, he'll be a good stop gap for Los Blancos as they pursue other centre-back options.

For Hummels himself it's also a great move: there's greater opportunities to win trophies in the Spanish capital, while he'll prove a valuable member of Ancelotti's side whenever needed.

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