Real Madrid 'set their sights' on stunning raid of Manchester United for player they are 'big fans' of

Real Madrid have turned their attentions to signing a Manchester United star to strengthen one of their key positions if a move for a Liverpool star does not come to fruition.

Los Blancos are arguably the best side in Europe at the moment and are stacked with quality all over the pitch as they won La Liga and the Champions League last season.

Over the summer, striker Kylian Mbappe arrived at Real as he finally made his long awaited move to the Spanish capital, joining on a free transfer after his contract at Paris Saint-Germain expired and he penned a five-year contract at Carlo Ancelotti's side.

An area of the Real squad which requires attention in the near future is the right-back area, with the likes of Dani Carvajal and Lucas Vazquez who Ancelotti can currently call upon in that position.

However, Carvajal is currently 32 while Vazquez is a year older, and so Real could do with younger alternatives in this area of the pitch.

At the top of their list is Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has an uncertain future beyond the end of this season as his deal at Anfield expires in the summer of 2025 at present.

Though Alexander-Arnold could yet pen a new deal on Merseyside, the lure of playing for Real will surely appeal.

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Though the England international is top of Real's list, the Santiago Bernabeu club has a Plan B in case the move for Alexander-Arnold does not come to fruition.

According to Spanish publication Fichajes, Real have set their sights on signing United defender Diogo Dalot as the next name on their list to turn to.

Dalot has emerged as a first choice player under Erik ten Hag, having arrived at United in 2018 under previous boss Jose Mourinho, and has gone on to score six goals in 165 games for the Old Trafford club across all competitions.

Dalot is an attractive option for Real given his relative youth at only 25, allied to his performances and experience which he has accrued in that time.

The Portugal international's contract at United runs until the summer of 2028 with the option for an additional 12 months, so the Old Trafford club are not under any immediate pressure to sell Dalot and would be in a strong place to negotiate the maximum price possible for the defender, though an approach from Real could well appeal to the right-back.