Real Madrid approaches the January transfer market with many doubts about the strength of its squad.
The serious knee injuries of Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao left the team short in defense. Lucas Vazquez has been their only senior right-back since October and Antonio Rudiger their only senior centre-back since November due to injury problems in Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
Ancelotti and his staff, the players and their entourages, the fans and the press all agree reinforcements are needed. But that does not necessarily mean Madrid will make January signings, as they have shown in the past.
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The Athletic explains what to expect in January, with contributions from resources that have asked to remain anonymous for relationships. . .
There is a general consensus within the club on the desire to sign a centre-back and a right-back in the next transfer windows.
Since October, general director José Ángel Sánchez, head scout Juni Calafat, sports director Santiago Solari and Ancelotti think the same way. It depends on whether they can locate features in the always difficult January market and in anticipation of President Florentino. Perez’s soft green to signal new players.
The predominant opinion now in the club is not to sign, as Carlo Ancelotti and his team have long feared in conversations with the board and in the media. The Italian has warned in several press conferences that there may be news, having in the past ruled out the option of publicly siding with the club.
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Madrid have historically been wary of making new additions in January — their last first-team signing in that window was Brahim Diaz in 2019. They signed the winger from Manchester City because the deal was a market opportunity, with his City contract set to expire in June of that year.
They still think that it would take too much time for a new player to arrive, adapt, perform immediately and, moreover, not be a mere stopgap and be a financially beneficial move.
There is no outstanding player that Madrid is targeting in central defense; however, some names have been discussed on stage.
These include Al Nassr’s Aymeric Laporte or 18-year-old Palmeiras centre-back Vitor Reis. Some even saw Napoli’s Rafa Marin as an interesting option. The Madrid academy graduate who left the club in the summer for an initial €11million ($11.5m; £9.1m at current exchange rates), with an option for the Italian club to pay an additional €10m during the 2024-2025 season to confirm their long-term ownership of the player, is not getting much game time in Italy.
The club argue the better solution is to keep counting on academy player Raul Asencio, who has made nine appearances since being elevated to the first team as an emergency measure last month, or the returning David Alaba. The Austrian centre-back underwent surgery on an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in December last year and sources at Madrid’s Valdebebas training ground see him returning to the bench and playing little by little from mid-January.
The management points out how in recent years the results have been very good following their ideas and disregarding opposing views from inside and outside the club.
Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold is Madrid’s preferred signing at right-back. There is some optimism among those connected to the Spanish club about his arrival, which would lessen the potential for more serious moves in January — although multiple sources have told The Athletic that the Englishman moving from Liverpool next month seems unfeasible.
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Alphonso Davies is a player worth paying attention to from a Madrid perspective. The Canadian left-back ends his contract with Bayern Munich in June and will be able to negotiate and sign an agreement with any of his suitors, including Real Madrid, Barcelona and Premier League clubs, starting January 1.
Bayern have made good progress in their goal of renewing his deal and are optimistic, but Madrid could still make a move. They reached an understanding with Davies’ agency in February on what the terms would be if he were to sign for them in 2024 or 2025, as a free agent with a signing-on bonus.
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Madrid is expected to sell anyone.
Dani Ceballos has asked to leave this summer but the club has the 28-year-old midfielder and his greater involvement in recent weeks will see him stay at the Bernabéu until the end of the season.
Players who are not featuring as much as they would like — such as youngsters Arda Guler and Endrick — are not thinking of leaving and the club are not planning on letting them leave on loan or permanently at this point.
No, as above.
None.
The four key figures in Madrid’s transfer policy are president Perez, CEO Sanchez, chief scout Calafat and director of football Solari, who has gained prominence recently.
Sánchez and Calafat are very concerned about the process. Calafat and his team prepare reports on possible targets, and Sánchez worries when one is classified as a “FICHAR,” the Spanish word for “signal. “
The final say always comes down to Perez, however. Ancelotti is sometimes consulted but does not dictate decision-making.
Ancelotti believes his team wants at least a centre-back and a right-back, and fear is growing around Madrid’s full-backs.
Vazquez is filling in for Carvajal and is highly valued for his commitment, professionalism and leadership, but voices close to Ancelotti point out the potential for 81 matches this season if they go all the way in every competition. They see it as too demanding to count on Vazquez for all of those games.
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There are also doubts about Fran García at left back, so Ferland Mendy remains the most sensible player in the youth team, although his performance has dropped significantly since the summer. This is a situation that has recently been debated and which, however, remains worrying.
Even so, it is worth remembering Ancelotti’s wishes are rarely taken into consideration. He asked for Harry Kane to replace Karim Benzema in the summer of 2023 and the board did not make a serious move for him, while no centre-back arrived after serious knee injuries suffered by Militao and Alaba in the second half of that year. That continued into the summer, when Madrid failed to sign Leny Yoro and no serious attempt was made to find an alternative.
(Top photos: Getty Images)