Forming a La Liga XI Who Real Madrid Could Target in Summer Transfer Market
There will be no January transfers for Real Madrid this year due to a FIFA ban, but in the summer it will be open season once more for a club who will hope to have added at least one more trophy to their collection by then.
Real have vast spending power, are one of the biggest sides on the planet, and they can attract players from all over the world—but sometimes there's no need to cast the net so far.
La Liga is filled with quality—both obvious and understated—and there's plenty of opportunity for Los Blancos to bolster their ranks with players signed from closer to home this summer.
Here, we identify a team full of such players. We are not suggesting Real sign all 11, but there is a case that one or two of them could support the squad going forward next term—or even improve the starting XI.
For obvious reasons, we won't be including any Barcelona players as suggestions.
GK: Sergio Asenjo, VIL
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Among the best in La Liga year on year, Sergio Asenjo took a season to rediscover top form after his ACL injury in April 2015. However, he is once more a genuine option for Spain, while his club, Villarreal, have the best defensive record in La Liga.
Asenjo is reliable with his handling, brave in coming off his line in one-on-one and crossing situations and has tremendous reflexes. He's an all-round stopper, comfortably better than Kiko Casilla and perhaps the equal of Keylor Navas this season—but not last year.
Biggest drawback: Would Asenjo want to be back-up? Could he genuinely challenge Navas?
RB: Mario Gaspar, VIL
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It might not be a surprise to see Villarreal options in defence, given their reliability, consistency and the complete opposite to what Real Madrid tend to show in that area of their team.
Mario Gaspar is a great full-back, not as flashy going forward as some but effective regardless, and he is full-on aggressive and committed with his defensive work.
It says a lot about Spain's options at right-back that he could be considered the fourth choice behind Dani Carvajal, Juanfran and Hector Bellerin.
Biggest drawback: Signing Mario would be admitting defeat in the purchase of Danilo in 2015, would be expensive and pits two national-team rivals for one spot against each other.
CB: Jorge Mere, SPO
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One of La Liga's best young defenders and certainly Spain's top prospect, Jorge Mere won't be with Sporting Gijon for much longer—one of the big teams will soon snap him up.
The question is: Will it be Real Madrid or Barcelona who loan him out elsewhere, or a stepping-stone club such as Villarreal, Sevilla or Valencia?
The 19-year-old is cool on the ball, reads the game well, is aggressive and—considering he's still a teenager—has a fair amount of experience. Will Madrid see him as a better prospect than Jesus Vallejo?
Biggest drawback: None, other than the usual game time versus experience battle.
CB: Victor Ruiz, VIL
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Our third and final Villarreal player is Victor Ruiz, the reliable and consistent Spanish centre-back who was snared on the cheap from Valencia in July 2015.
Ruiz hasn't really put a foot wrong in his time at Villarreal. He's always dependable and aggressive, strong in the air and surprisingly agile when striding through midfield with the ball at his feet. He's an all-round defender who doesn't give attackers an easy time.
He wouldn't oust Sergio Ramos, least of all because the Real skipper plays regardless of form, but as a squad defender, he would be hard to beat for reliability.
Biggest drawback: Very little, other than perhaps Nacho warranting more game time.
LB: Jose Gaya, VAL
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The Valencia left-back has been linked with Real Madrid almost since the day of his debut, per AS, and it's possible that Jose Gaya will end up at the Santiago Bernabeu one day.
The positives are easy to identify; the 21-year-old is a winger-turned-full-back, impressive going forward, with pace to burn and with good delivery from the flank.
But what are his less impressive qualities? His own consistency in an awfully inconsistent team, his temperament at times and perhaps his likely cost, compared to what he's actually achieved thus far.
Biggest drawback: Inconsistency in his game and the likelihood of him displacing Marcelo.
RW: Inaki Williams, ATH
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It's fair to suggest that while La Liga has plenty of midfield talents, choosing those who could upgrade Real Madrid's squad is not an easy task, partly because the middle third of Zinedine Zidane's squad is bloated.
A genuine wide option who could play in a Lucas Vazquez-style outlet role and contribute as a forward would be Inaki Williams.
The Athletic Club Bilbao attacker, 22, isn't the finished article—especially with his end product—but he has all the tools and is becoming a more reliable frontman year after year. He has the pace, skill and unpredictability to step up even further yet.
Biggest drawback: Huge cost possibly not relative to talent, as with all Athletic sales.
CM: Marcos Llorente, ALA
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We are cheating a little here, but the first central midfielder Real need to consider is one of their own—a recall for Marcos Llorente.
Starring on loan at Alaves, the 21-year-old is proving more than capable of holding his own against La Liga's top central midfielders, playing in a destroying, holding role but also contributing to initiating attacks from deep.
He can play in the back line, but offering a back-up to Casemiro is something Madrid should have taken care of this season and must address next term.
Biggest drawback: Relative inexperience and the temptation to loan him out again.
CM: Steven N'Zonzi, SEV
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If recalling their own starlet isn't going to happen, then Real should go big: Steven N'Zonzi has been one of La Liga's best midfielders this season, but his form isn't surprising.
He was good at Stoke City and has emerged into a consistent, rounded player at Sevilla. He's a tough-to-beat destroyer in the centre, but he also shoulders the responsibility to burst forward and take the game to opponents.
He's almost impossible to dribble past, has good recovery pace and wins the ball in the air a lot. Casemiro might be the defensive midfielder, but N'Zonzi offers certain traits even the Brazilian cannot give Madrid.
Biggest drawback: Monster cost, straight battle with Casemiro for a starting spot.
LW: Mikel Oyarzabal, RSO
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One of La Liga's most exciting young attacking prospects, Mikel Oyarzabal has already shown his big-game ability at Real Sociedad. And unless the 19-year-old opts to be a one-club man, it's likely he'll be heading toward the top of Spanish football sooner rather than later.
A fantastic outlet on the wing, he can play centrally as a support forward as well but is most likely to be seen as a wide option.
Biggest drawback: Not many, but perhaps a lack of game time for anyone coming in at left wing.
SS: Iago Aspas, CEL
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Things you never expected to say: Iago Aspas is an option for Real Madrid.
Naturally, he's never going to overhaul the main No. 9 for Los Blancos, but as a support act, they could do far worse.
Aspas has grown enormously in the past couple of seasons. He is now a Spain international, the fourth-top scorer in La Liga this season (behind Leo Messi, Luis Suarez and Cristiano Ronaldo) and ranks in the top 10 for chances created per league game, per WhoScored.com.
Aspas works hard, uses space well and is selfless with his play; he can also be the furthest forward attacker or roam slightly deeper.
Biggest drawback: His one attempt to play at the highest level—with Liverpool—was a complete flop.
CF: Antoine Griezmann, ATM
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Let's face it, if Real Madrid sign a forward, it's likely to be the bank-breaker that represents the punctured hopes of thousands of fans at another club who lose their best player.
And that's what would be the case if they went for Antoine Griezmann, the only Atletico Madrid player worth breaking the so-called truce—as referred to by Marca surrounding the player's potential switch—between the clubs for, as good as Saul Niguez and Koke are.
Griezmann would cost major money, but he is one of the world's top forwards and can play in multiple roles. Is he worth it? Almost certainly.
Biggest drawback: It's difficult to decide; would it be the potential to bankrupt the club or the potential to incite city-wide hatred?
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