Real Madrid News
Real Madrid aim to fully finalise squad before pre-season; an intense month awaits in the market
Real Madrid have come out all guns blazing in the transfer market after the presidential elections concluded.
Ibrahima Konate and Denzel Dumfries were secured even before the elections and since then, Bernardo Silva and Marc Cucurella have also been signed.
More incomings are expected in the coming weeks, with another centre-back, a midfielder, and even a new forward likely to be signed by the club.
Plan to finalise squad before pre-season
In that context, Jose Felix Diaz of AS reports that Real Madrid’s plan is to finalise all transfer business and prepare the squad fully before the start of the pre-season.
Manager Jose Mourinho will start working with the squad for the summer pre-season from 13 July, and the idea is to complete all business by then.
Therefore, the next few weeks are expected to be very intense and filled with activity in the transfer market from Los Merengues.
Not only signings, but there will also be departures from the club, considering that Real Madrid will need to free up space in the squad as La Liga allows only 25 player registrations.
Who could arrive? Who will leave?
Unlike in the past, Real Madrid have given manager Mourinho complete control over transfers this summer, who is making some sweeping changes to the squad, bringing in established players instead of investing in potential.
As mentioned earlier, another central defender could be signed, with Nico Schlotterbeck of Borussia Dortmund emerging as a key target.
Meanwhile, in midfield, Enzo Fernandez of Chelsea and Mateus Fernandes of West Ham United being courted by the Spanish capital giants.
As for potential departures, Mourinho and Real Madrid have prepared a four-man list of players whom they consider expendable.
Ferland Mendy, Fran Garcia, Dani Ceballos, and Raul Asencio are the four players who the club see as candidates for exits.
After three successive wins to start the season, a 1-0 loss to Real Betis came as a reality check for Real Madrid, who are still some way off matching the quality and consistency of Barcelona.
In light of the defeat, the Real Madrid coaching staff is analysing the best way to get the most out of the current setup.
More expected from Valverde
According to Defensa Central, one of the key conclusions drawn from the Betis defeat is that Real Madrid need greater involvement from Federico Valverde with the ball.
The Uruguayan has been deployed as the pivot, largely due to the absence of the injured Aurelien Tchouameni, but he is yet to make the step up in quality the team requires from that role.
While his effort and commitment are never in doubt, Mourinho and his staff, led by Sami Khedira, feel Valverde spends too much time positioned behind the opposition’s midfield line.
As a result, he fails to offer passing lanes to his teammates when they are under pressure, forcing them into hurried, aimless clearances rather than playing out cleanly from the back.
That concern has already been communicated to Valverde, who is still adapting to a position he has never truly played, making the challenge all the more difficult for him.
A collective issue to fix
However, the problem is not Valverde’s alone, with the coaching staff identifying a wider issue in the team’s structure.
Khedira has reportedly noted a certain passivity from the attackers in the videos of the match, particularly Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe, when it comes to offering themselves as the ball transitions from midfield into attacking areas.
That lack of movement compounds the difficulties for the deeper midfielders.
Mourinho, for his part, remains unfazed by the departure of Rodri to Barcelona, insisting his squad has the tools to cope.
“I’m not missing Rodri. We have solutions, we have quality,” the Portuguese said, before adding that he backs his ability to improve players.
With a Champions League opener against Inter Milan on the horizon, Mourinho and his staff will be keen to iron out these issues quickly.
