The La Liga season is not over yet, and Real Madrid's summer transfer business has already begun.
Real Madrid announced on June 3 that Marco Asensio, Mariano Diaz and Eden Hazard would leave the club. A day later – hours before Madrid's last game of the season against Athletic Bilbao – Karim Benzema's name was added to the list. Then, 72 hours after the end of the season, Borussia Dortmund confirmed that midfielder Jude Bellingham would join Madrid for an initial fee of 103 million euros.
Two days later, Madrid officially announced the return of left-back Fran Garcia from Rayo Vallecano before Brahim Diaz returned after a three-year loan spell at AC Milan. Last Monday, the club clarified where the future of the team lies, handing over the number 7 shirt to Vinicius and Rodrigo the number 11.
If that wasn't enough, reports that Mbappe doesn't plan to extend his Paris Saint-Germain contract beyond 2024 open up the prospect of a move this summer, as well as another protracted transfer saga. Madrid are ready to make an offer, although the player has said he will stay at Paris Saint-Germain and leave for free for 12 months. Meanwhile, the club announced the signing of Spanish striker José Lew on Monday.
Before it is clear that it will be a key transfer window for Real Madrid, let's take a closer look at the club's next steps – arrivals and departures, the club's plans and how much they need to spend – as they look to build a new team capable of challenging La Liga and the Champions League again.
At the Santiago Bernabeu, there is always something to change this summer, and not just because the ongoing renovation of the stadium, which began four years ago, is finally nearing completion.
Head coach Carlo Ancelotti and his team of assistants will remain – even if the Brazilian Football Federation has not completely given up on recruiting him as their new national team coach. But the team's on-field transition began with the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018 – picking up pace with the departures of Sergio Ramos and Rafael Varane in 2021 and Marcelo and Casemiro in 2022.
The departure of the unstable Asensio, the unpopular Mariano and the anonymous Eden Hazard will be a net positive. Their absence will free up around €40 million in payroll for new signings. Eden Hazard, who started just two league games last season, is the team's top earner.
The most important and premature loss was Benzema. The 35-year-old Ballon d'Or winner had been expected to stay another season until an injury-interrupted season and a coveted two-year contract worth up to €400 million from Saudi Arabia's Etihad convinced him to change his career mind.
Benzema has been the heart of Madrid's front for more than a decade, scoring 31 goals in all competitions even in a poor 2022-23 season. The departure of four attacking players means Vinicius and Rodrigo are the only two first-team strikers listed on the club's website until Diaz joins.
Diaz effectively replaced Asensio in the right-wing rivalry with Rodrigo, although he will rival Asensio's 19 league goals over the past two seasons. But that still leaves Madrid without a recognised centre-forward. It has been acknowledged that the club lacks enough backing from Benzema. With Benzema's departure, they also need a complete replacement.
The club believes Harry Kane has the necessary attributes – top experience, technical quality and consistent goalscoring threat – to replace Benzema. But Kane turns 30 next month and Real Madrid are unwilling to spend big bucks on a player with no transfer value in the future, whose best years may be over.
Another interesting possibility emerged this week, with news that Mbappe has officially informed Paris Saint-Germain that he will not extend his contract there for another year, until 2025. Mbappe later disputed the reports, writing on social media that he was "very happy" at Paris Saint-Germain and reiterated that he would remain in Paris next season – but his club may be reluctant to let him terminate his contract for the second time in two years.
Real Madrid are poised to bring in Mbappe this summer if Paris Saint-Germain are really likely to back such a deal. Sources said Mbappe would prioritise Madrid over any other potential suitors. Club president Florentino Pérez has been in contact with Mbappe despite being hurt by the striker's last-minute change of mind in the snub to Real Madrid last year. If it is in everyone's best interest to accept a move this summer, Madrid's finances are more than enough to make that happen.
Real Madrid are not expected to spend big on the striker this summer – especially after pledging an initial €103 million plus a potential €30 million variable to sign Bellingham – but last year's accounts showed a cash balance of €425 million.
With savings from Eden Hazard and Benzema, and the new revenue streams to come from the rebuilt Bernabeu, Madrid have the ability to sign either Mbappe or Kane if they so choose. After all, they are willing to spend up to €200 million to sign Mbappe in 2021, at a time when other clubs were on the verge of collapse due to the financial impact of the pandemic.
The plan for this summer is a more modest investment in attacks. Spain and Espanyol striker Joselu, the scorer who scored 16 goals in La Liga last season – behind Robert Lewandowski and Benzema – has joined on loan. The 33-year-old, who played for Real Madrid between 2009 and 2012 and is brother-in-law of Danny Carvajal, is now in the shape of his life. It's a smart, low-risk move for a player who can adapt quickly and offer something different from a serious shooter.
But it's hard to imagine Madrid having Joselu their first and only option in the centre forward position in the new season. Chelsea's 24-year-old multi-talented Kay Havertz is in the spotlight and his contract at Stamford Bridge expires in 2025. Earlier this season, Madrid were tracking a number of other candidates, including Juventus' Toussaint Vlahovic and Tottenham's Richarlison.
Defensively and in midfield, it will be a less dramatic summer. The future of Nacho Fernandez, Tony Kroos and Luka Modric – three of the team's most senior players – has all been questioned to varying degrees. For now, all three seem to be standing still.
Nacho only recently confirmed that he has overcome his grievances in Carlo Ancelotti's defensive system. Nacho has previously said he "doesn't feel valued" after falling behind Eder Militão, David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger earlier this season, but last week he agreed to a new one-year contract. This helped him become Benzema's successor as club captain.
Kroos openly considered an early retirement, after which improvements in his form and fitness convinced him to continue. His one-year renewal has not been officially announced.
Modric, meanwhile, has publicly and privately stated that he wants to stay and agree to the terms of the new agreement. But there is also strong interest from Saudi Arabia, which he has so far managed to resist.
But bigger doubts remain, including those surrounding Dani Ceballos. As the season progressed, the midfielder's importance grew day by day, with 16 of his 19 league starts coming in the second half of the season. He is now weighing whether the added game time is enough for him to accept a contract offer from the club.
The possibility of a sudden departure – think Varane in 2021 or Casemiro last year – can never be completely ruled out in Madrid. If an attractive offer is made to a player deemed irrelevant, the club has a track record of knowing when to extract maximum value and become stronger.
If a suitable destination is found, the other three team members, André Luning, Jesús Vallejo and Álvaro Odriozola, will also be allowed to leave. If squad places need to be filled, some talented Academy players have shown enough to show they can contribute to the first team.
21-year-old centre-back Rafa Marin has a high rating despite his contract expiring in 2024. The same 21-year-old midfielder Sergio Aribas has reached that level, while 18-year-old striker Álvaro Rodríguez looked like a useful target last season, and 18-year-old playmaker Nico Paz may be the brightest star in the academy.
However, Carlo Ancelotti has often been reluctant to turn to homegrown youngsters – one of the criticisms he has faced within the club – unless circumstances leave him with no choice.
With the signing of Bellingham, the renewal of the core of this Real Madrid team has been completed.
The 19-year-old will play alongside Eduardo Camavinga (20), Aurelian Chuameni (23) and Federico Valverde (24) in midfield. Add in strikers Vinicius and Rodrigo (both 22) and Brahim Dias (23), plus defenders Militang (25) and Garcia (23), Madrid's age structure looks increasingly healthy.
The final piece of the puzzle will be the new striker, as Benzema's farewell leaves the club with a major transfer business – if José Lew is not the only addition to the front line – and 2.5 months to find their candidates.
Article source: 68 Sports