Real Madrid captain Nacho is officially moving on after 23 years at the club. The veteran defender previously joined the Spanish side’s youth setup at the age of 10. He subsequently made 364 total appearances for Los Blancos after making his senior debut in 2012. In total, Nacho helped the team collect 26 trophies in his time at the club. This figure includes four LaLiga titles and six UEFA Champions League triumphs.

The most recent trophy for Nacho came just last month, as the club topped Borussia Dortmund for the European crown. Despite his age, Nacho played a full 90 minutes against the German giants on the night. Manager Carlo Ancelotti selected the veteran in 11 of his 13 Champions League starting lineups in the 2023/24 season.

Real president Florentino Perez touched on Nacho’s impressive legacy at the club in a statement released on Tuesday. “Since he arrived at our youth academy as a child, Nacho has been an example to everyone and has earned the affection, recognition and admiration of everyone at Real Madrid,” proclaimed Perez. “Real Madrid is and always will be his home.”

Real Madrid likely to sign new center-back this summer to replace Nacho

Nacho was widely expected to depart the club following the most recent campaign. After all, he was set to be out of contract this summer and there were no indications that the two sides would agree on an extension. Nevertheless, the veteran is set to be missed and club brass will have to potentially bring in a replacement for the aging star.

Nacho managed to appear in 45 total games during the 2023/24 season. Only one other defender, fellow center-back Antonio Rudiger, was able to feature in more matches throughout the campaign. While the veteran may not be the same player he was a decade ago, he was still an important piece of the puzzle for Ancelotti.

One defender who has been linked with Real for months now is Alphonso Davies. The left-back’s future at Bayern Munich has been up in the air for quite some time now due to contract demands. Davies reportedly wants a raise and his current deal is set to expire next summer. As a result, Bayern brass needs to either re-sign the star or risk watching him depart for free in 2025.

Davies, however, does not necessarily play the same position as Nacho. The former Real captain can play on the left, but he typically plays as a central defender. The LaLiga champions currently have Eder Militao, David Alaba, and the aforementioned Rudiger at the position. Nevertheless, Real Madrid needs another center-back to replace Nacho.

Joselu also departing Real for Middle Eastern team

Nacho is currently at Euro 2024 with Spain. The defender started his team’s first match of the tournament but has not featured since. He will join Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadsiah shortly. Nacho is not the only Real star moving to the Middle East. According to reports, Joselu is also nearing a switch to Qatari club Al Gharafa.

The center forward was going to remain with Real for the 2024/25 season. However, the fellow 34-year-old player now looks certain to join the Middle Eastern club potentially in the coming weeks. Joselu impressed on loan at Real during the most recent season after scoring 17 goals, including a pair against Bayern in the Champions League semifinals.

Real, however, may not necessarily need to replace the striker during the summer transfer window. The club is already bringing in superstar Kylian Mbappe to play alongside Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.