4 Players Real Madrid Should Target from Euro 2016

Real Madrid will be busy in July and August preparing their squad for the new season, including both the players who helped them win the UEFA Champions League in May and also finalising new additions from the transfer market.

While the exact roles in which Zinedine Zidane wishes to strengthen are not 100 per cent clear, the squad did look lacking in one or two positions last term, either in terms of reliable quality or else in depth, so a fair assessment of the types of players the club will be looking at can be made.

With Euro 2016 coming to a close and a number of players having impressed, both before and during the tournament, we've picked out four men Real may consider worthwhile adding to their squad, starting with one already heavily rumoured to be on the way.

It's also worth noting that any one of these would be quality additions, rather than suggesting Real Madrid should break the bank and invest in all four at once.

No surprises: N'Golo Kante

Leicester City won the Premier League last year and, along with Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy, N'Golo Kante played a huge role in their success with his aggressive midfield play, ability to win back possession and his enormous athletic prowess which enabled him to rampage the entire length of the pitch.

Lars Baron/Getty Images

According to Marca, Kante is on Real's shortlist for a summer transfer, and he'd certainly bulk up a midfield which will have gone from understaffed, in a defensive sense, to absolutely stacked in the space of six months if he signs.

Casemiro occupies the defensive-midfield role now, but he will need both rotating and a partner when the situation demands it, with Kante able to roam and destroy while the Brazil international sits in place if the two are in the side in tandem.

Naturally, it means one less offensive-minded player, which means it's not likely to happen often, but at least the option is there for Zidane, particularly in tough away games or European competition.

Kante has been an important performer for France at the Euros, helping them to the quarter-final before he missed that fixture through suspension, but he is a certainty to return for the semi-final against Germany on Thursday.

His future isn't likely to be resolved until his nation's participation is over, but it's fair to say that winning the title in England, then winning Euro 2016 on home soil and sealing a move to Real Madrid...well, 2016 would probably rank up there in the greatest year of his career no matter what else he goes on to achieve.

Centre-back star

The arguments will go on about whether Real Madrid need a new central defender, but taking the past two seasons into account, it's pretty clear they will only benefit from signing one.

That Pepe ended 2015-16 as their first-choice and most in-form centre-back speaks volumes, with Sergio Ramos erratic at best and Raphael Varane still plagued by injuries.

Inconsistent performances from the Frenchman have denied him the chance to be Real's prime defender—which he should have been by now—though between the three of them (and the odd Nacho appearance), they have kept the defence strung together.

It could be better, though.

Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images

One way to improve it would be to sign the best—and at Euro 2016 and arguably throughout Europe's top domestic leagues, that has been Jerome Boateng.

The Bayern Munich man would not come cheap, but his consistency, pace and technical ability mark him out as one of the best purchases any side could hope to make.

At the age of 27, there's plenty of mileage left in him yet to make a high transfer fee a worthwhile investment over the longer term. His performances for Germany have largely been of the highest order at Euro 2016, highlighting his status at the top of the game.

There aren't many clubs who could afford or entice Boateng to move away from Bayern, where he was a starter and a star under Pep Guardiola and will be again under Carlo Ancelotti, but Real Madrid might head that short queue if they impress upon him just how central he'll be to their plans for success.

Left-back cover

Fabio Coentrao's loan departure to AS Monaco left Real Madrid short of cover at left-back last season, not in terms of actual bodies, since three others filled in the role when Marcelo was out, but definitely in terms of quality, offensive mindset and tactical similarity.

The big issue they have is that signing a suitable alternative to Marcelo means a huge expenditure, while the Brazilian will remain first choice whenever fit—not an enticing situation for the likes of Ricardo Rodriguez or Jose Gaya to consider from the bench.

TOBIAS SCHWARZ/Getty Images

Thus, there must be an alternative: a first-team-quality starter for a different position, who can also take on the left-back role when required. Again, there aren't too many who fit the bill and have the talent required to take Real Madrid further, but David Alaba would be a perfect fit and an incredible signing.

Along with the entire Austria side, Alaba underperformed at Euro 2016, but he has long shown his suitability at left-back and in central midfield at club level. He'd be an asset to Real's creativity and ball retention centrally, and he is equally adept at instigating and supporting attacks from defence.

Striker

Real Madrid need to add a centre-forward to their ranks this summer, but unless they think the cult-hero shirt sales will be worth it, sadly we can't suggest either of Euro 2016's big striker stories, Will Grigg or Kolbeinn Sigthorsson. Nor are they likely to target current top scorer at the tournament, Antoine Griezmann, the lead forward at archrivals Atletico Madrid.

Instead, Germany's rotation striker Mario Gomez would be an interesting and cut-price addition to the squad, certainly compared to other suggestions. He is likely to leave Fiorentina this season and last term's loan club, Besiktas, are not signing him on a permanent deal.

Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images

ESPN FC link Wolfsburg with a move for Gomez, who has been ruled out of the rest of Euro 2016 with a hamstring injury, per BBC Sport.

The 30-year-old scored twice during the tournament and would be an aggressive, goalscoring addition to any squad, but for Real, he might be particularly interesting as an alternative to Karim Benzema, whose injury record interrupted his own scoring exploits last term.

Real have already nabbed one striker who played at Euro 2016, Spain's Alvaro Morata, and any suggestions for a new forward would be negated if they opt to keep him rather than sell for profit—with Marca claiming Real will look for a €75 million fee.

Follow @karlmatchett