According to Marca, Nicolas Otamendi is emerging as a potential replacement for Real Madrid defender Pepe. The veteran centre-back is set to leave Real in the summer, with a move to China looking more and more likely.
Otamendi is eyeing a return to La Liga after a couple of difficult seasons with Manchester City following a big-money move from Valencia. He has been prone to inconsistencies in his defensive play and has lacked tenacity when it matters during this campaign.
Despite this, Real’s first possible option would be to advance Jesus Vallejo to the first-team. Vallejo is currently out on loan to Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt, so he would more likely be sent out on loan to Germany again to get more experience.
Otamendi’s price is around 30 million euros, but a move to Real seems unlikely considering the options at centre-back that the Spanish giants currently have. The likes of Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane and Nacho Fernandez have been vital components to Zinedine Zidane’s system, which has proved to be dominant in La Liga and the Champions League.
Otamendi signed for City in the summer of 2015, when Manuel Pellegrini was at the helm. He has endured a tough couple of seasons in the Premier League and will want to return to a league where he flourished with former club Valencia.
