Real Madrid have too many good players. It's a nice problem to have.
This summer, Real Madrid have strengthened an attacking lineup that already seemed unstoppable by signing Kylian Mbappe and Endrick. Today, however, we will discus a massive weakness in their squad.
Real Madrid have already had a brilliant transfer window in the attacking department, finally securing the signature of Kylian Mbappe after over 6 years of pursuit. Not only that, but they have done this on a free transfer, allowing them to also cash out on one of the most promising under 19s in world football, Endrick. After completing the signings of prolific attacking talents Kylian Mbappe and Endrick, Real Madrid’s attack seems destined to lose a player. Mbappe will be expecting to start every game, and so will current wingers Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr. Endrick is already of the quality to expect regular first team action, and that is not even to mention Arda Guler, who will also certainly be wanting to have more time to show the ability that he showcased so brilliantly at the Euros for Turkey. Despite it seeming like one of these players needs to leave for there to be space in the attack, the allure of Real Madrid seems to have motivated these players to stay at the club despite uncertainty about play time. There have not been any major reports that any of these players are unsettled at the club or want to leave, and because of this, we can assume that a deal for any of these attackers is unlikely. While this looks incredibly promising for Real Madrid and daunting for anyone who will face them in Europe or in Domestic Competitions, they certainly do have weak point.
Their midfield is still exceptional, with Jude Bellingham, Valverde, Tchouameni, Camavinga and Modric just some of the elusive names at the club, but when we look at their defence, there is a massive lack of depth. Specifically, David Alaba seems like his knee injury could leave him out of the Real Madrid squad until 2025 or later, and former club captain Nacho Fernandes has been sold to the Saudi Pro League club Al Qadsiah FC. This leaves the only centre-backs at the club to be Antonio Rudiger, Eder Militao (who has had massive injury struggles in recent years), and 16 year old Joan Martinez, who just made his debut for Real Madrid this summer in a pre-season friendly. Surprisingly, Carlo Ancelotti has said that the club intends to make “no more signings” after Kylian Mbappe and Endrick joined the club. This seems concerning for Los Blancos as if Eder Militao or another centre-back is to get injured, they will have no backup without playing midfielders or fullbacks out of position, which will then reduce depth in other areas. While Real Madrid’s attacking and midfield talent is unquestionable, their lack of defensive depth could cost them massively in the upcoming season where their expectations are incredibly high due to new attacking talent on top of the talent that won them LaLiga and the Champions League last season. How can they fix this issue? That is what we are going to discuss next.
Real Madrid clearly need to sign a new centre back to deepen their defensive setup for the upcoming season, but their previous target Leny Yoro has already been signed by Manchester United. A player who is expected to leave his domestic club this summer due to falling out of favor in the squad is Matthijs de Ligt, who started to appear less and less towards the end of the season for Bayern Munich. Manchester United actually agreed personal terms for De Ligt earlier in the transfer window, but after they signed centre-back Leny Yoro, it seems less and less likely that this deal will come to fruition. This would be a good chance for Real Madrid to take this long-term Manchester United target away from the club, and he does fit the profile of centre-back that Real Madrid have used for generations: a tall, physically dominating centre back who is not afraid to make risky last-man tackles. This signing could really help to strengthen a key area for Real Madrid and, unfortunately for any other sides in Europe, would make them even more difficult to break down defensively than they already are.
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