Real Sociedad has narrowed its search for a central defender to three names, Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Ladislav Krejci, Neom SC’s Nathan Zeze, and River Plate’s Lautaro Rivero, with the club racing to close a deal before its LaLiga opener against Real Betis.
According to ElDesmarque, the urgency follows the collapse of a proposed move for Nayef Aguerd, with the report citing conflicting accounts over whether a failed medical or internal conversations with coaching staff ended that pursuit. Real Sociedad has lost four straight preseason matches, including defeats to Koln, Toulouse, and Chelsea, and head coach Domenico Matarazzo has made central defensive reinforcement his most urgent request of the summer.
Krejci, a left-footed Czech international, is Real Sociedad’s stated preference according to Basque outlet Noticias de Gipuzkoa, though a move for a player who has started regularly for Wolves this season would require a significant investment. Zeze, 21, is a France youth international who joined Neom SC from Nantes for a reported 20 million euros roughly a year ago, but financial strain at the Saudi club tied to regional instability has made his departure increasingly likely, and Real Sociedad is one of several European clubs, alongside Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, and Everton, that have registered interest in him this summer. Rivero, 22, is under contract at River Plate through June 2029 and is also being monitored by Atletico Madrid, though Atletico’s arrival of Cristian Romero this summer suggests the Madrid club is unlikely to pursue another central defender.
None of the three moves has reached the contact or bid stage publicly, and Real Sociedad has not indicated which of the three names it considers the priority target, but the club’s need is not in question. A defense that has conceded regularly through preseason and enters the league opener without a like-for-like Aguerd replacement leaves Matarazzo short of options at the position that has caused the most preseason concern.
Whichever of the three arrives, the timeline is what matters most now. Real Sociedad wants a deal closed before kickoff against Betis, and with three parallel talks running at once rather than one clear frontrunner, the coming days should bring clarity on which of Krejci, Zeze, or Rivero the club is prepared to move fastest and pay the most to sign.
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