What Could Real Madrid's Transfer Ban Spark in the Market?
If your name is Rafa Benitez, you might have been hurled from a sinking ship just in time.
After seven months at Real Madrid's helm, the Champions League winner was sacked from his position by president Florentino Perez and replaced by club legend Zinedine Zidane.
Ten days after Benitez's departure, FIFA announced Real and Atletico Madrid had been given two-window transfer bans for breaching rules over signing players aged under 18—much like what Barcelona incurred throughout 2015.
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Early thinking was Real and Atleti would appeal FIFA's decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, delaying any concrete handicaps until after the upcoming summer transfer window, but MailOnline's Pete Jenson suggested Los Blancos could forfeit that option, allowing the ban to take hold this summer.
The sooner the sanctions are lifted, the sooner they can sign players in 2017—a ploy to keep Perez's presidential tenure intact, should reports carry weight.
What happens in 2017 concerning Perez's presidency is of little concern in the short term. Many would deem his absence from Real Madrid a step in the right direction, but he seemingly has no intention of ceding power to another party.
Certainly and directly affected, not just in the Spanish capital but around the footballing globe, is the 2016 summer transfer window. If Madrid's tentative decision is to serve their time as soon as possible, though, this has more ramifications for those inside the Santiago Bernabeu.
Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos and others are annually married with moves to England or France, but if a transfer embargo is held this summer, they likely cannot move. If they do, Madrid would have nobody to replace them with—handing Zidane a hollow replica of a world-class side yet expecting him to win trophies.
"Zidane's hopes of signing Joe Allen dashed after Real Madrid handed transfer ban.
— Dave O’Connell (@DaveOCKOP) January 14, 2016"
Should Madrid appeal the transfer ban and use the relative grace period to stockpile footballers for upcoming seasons, it would translate into a monstrous amount of upheaval and inflation.
Madrid knowing 2017 is off limits might force them, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain into elaborate bidding wars for whatever available talent.
As the world's richest and traditional superclub, few can compete with Real Madrid's firepower in the market. If they want a player, their wishes are normally granted.
For the likes of Chelsea's Eden Hazard (the Independent's James Orr), Manchester United's David De Gea (Sky Sports' Guillem Balague) and Juventus' Paul Pogba (the Mirror's Ed Maylon), 2016 could see them compelled to leave home or miss their proverbial train. How acquiring two seasons' worth of Galactico-level talent in one summer spree merges with UEFA's financial fair play regulations could also prove problematic.
In a quest for sanity, Real would be better served doing their time immediately, without appeal, and wait for summer 2017 to restock their shelves—giving others a summer to prepare for imminent departures and arrivals.
That said, Perez's mind seemingly changes with the wind.
While recent reports suggest the 2016 summer transfer won't have Real Madrid as a participant, one can confidently predict that within days Real's president will have changed his mind.
*Stats via WhoScored.com; transfer fees via Soccerbase where not noted.
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