Best and Worst Moves Real Madrid Can Make in the Transfer Window
How do you top being definitively the best team? Real Madrid are kings of Spain, Europe and the entire world judging by their trophy haul during 2016/17 season, but now the question is how long they can retain their crowns.
To do so and to keep the omnipresent threat of Barcelona at bay, Real have to make moves in the transfer market this summer, and to a somewhat greater extent than last season when they brought in only Alvaro Morata.
Zinedine Zidane wants to bring back some loan players—Marcos Llorente and Jesus Vallejo seem certain to be offered the chance to step up, per Marca's Juan Ignacio Garcia-Ochoa—but the Santiago Bernabeu club will also spend on the right additions.
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There are already rumours of outgoings from Los Blancos' squad, and it's vital that the balance in depth, quality and determination to win is maintained, so here we assess the best and worst moves Real Madrid could make during the summer transfer window.
Best: sign Kylian Mbappe
With only Morata signed last term, it's a fair bet that Real Madrid, the second-richest club in the world according to KPMG's 2017 study, have a whole shedload of cash to spend should they want to.
And according to reports, they want to do so on Kylian Mbappe, the €100 million-rated French starlet who set the UEFA Champions League alight last term and is wanted by half of Europe.
L'Equipe reported (h/t AS) Zidane has spoken to the forward, while Radio Montecarlo (h/t AS' M.A. del Pozo) said Real will offer €135m and let Mbappe remain at Monaco for 2017/18.
The Express' Charles Perrin noted Arsenal have made a bid, while Paris Saint-Germain are also in the mix, according to Goal.com. For Real Madrid to sign the forward would be a huge coup, a statement of their standing atop the world of football and, of course, a preventative measure in allowing potential rivals to strengthen.
Mbappe looks set to be one of the foremost talents in the game over the coming years, and Real Madrid under Florentino Perez have long-demanded that such stars ply their trade at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The 18-year-old is the latest name to fit the bill, and pulling out all the stops to land him would be enormous.
Worst: landing Sandro Ramirez
While certain headlines around Europe have said Marca has reported Real Madrid as interested in former Barcelona striker Sandro Ramirez, that's not actually quite true.
Marca's Jose Felix Diaz has run a scouting report of who Real Madrid are looking at during the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, with Dani Ceballos of Real Betis one of the names listed. Sandro has also impressed with Spain, and Diaz simply noted he could be a potential extra target, given rumours of outgoings from Madrid's front line and his €6 million release clause.
It's a fair point to note, but simply put, Sandro is in no way the man to join Real Madrid.
First-team football has showcased his ability, and he's certainly a top-flight striker who will give good service to whichever team signs him, but given his most likely pathway this summer is Malaga to Everton, the level he's at is evident.
Replacing Morata isn't a possibility. Sandro isn't consistent enough, a reliable enough goalscorer or experienced enough to be considered a worthwhile addition at this point.
Best: tie Isco to new contract
It's not just about signing or selling players: those who are already in place and playing a key role must be looked after too.
Isco ended the campaign as Madrid's most in-form star and a vital piece of Zidane's tactical puzzle, and he only has one year remaining on his contract.
The latest reports suggest the player wants to remain at the Bernabeu, with The Express' Bruce Archer citing Isco's comments on Spanish TV, but with no confirmation in sight there's still a risk of losing him.
Whether that's for a lowered fee this summer or for nothing next term, it would be equally shoddy of Madrid to lose an excellent creative player who has finally begun to mature, find consistency and realise the importance of teamwork.
It was a long time coming, but Isco finally seemed to click in the second half of last term and showed how vital he can be in the pursuit for success, against big rivals and bottom-half fodder alike.
Getting his contract wrapped up should be one of Perez and Zidane's biggest priorities this summer.
Worst: allow Mateo Kovacic to leave
Croatian midfielder Kovacic isn't a guaranteed first XI name for Zidane, but he could be—he has proved his worth as a starter already.
In 2016/17 he was a pivotal fourth central midfielder, replacing each of Toni Kroos, Casemiro and Luka Modric in turn as the first-choice trio picked up injuries. In each role he excelled, and in each game he shouldered responsibility, showed consistency and improved his standing in the squad.
Kovacic has a remarkably complete set of skills and could feature in 35-to-40 games a season—an important component for any squad with hopes to run deep into every competition.
Earlier in the year Diario Gol (via The Express' David Wright) suggested both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur were in the hunt.
Regardless of the names involved, if Kovacic was available, clubs would be in for him. However, Madrid would simply have to replace him to balance the squad.
And to replace everything Kovacic can offer—defensive aggression, on-the-ball drive, intelligent passing—they'd have to spend big.
Best: getting £60 million for James Rodriguez
It's no secret that Colombian star James is unhappy with the low game time he receives under Zidane, and the expectation is that he will depart the Santiago Bernabeu this summer.
Rodriguez was a big hit after signing from AS Monaco after the 2014 World Cup, but after a single impressive season, he has been restricted in the two years since, playing only around 1,800 minutes each campaign.
To that end, if Real Madrid manage to get anywhere near the £61 million they're asking for, per Diario Gol (h/t Manchester Evening News), it would be a stunning achievement.
Considering Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is rated at £63 million as a regular starter, per Bild (h/t the Daily Mail's Dan Ripley), and another guaranteed first XI player in PSG's Marco Verratti is reported to have an €80 million (£68 million) price tag, per Corriere dello Sport (h/t The Independent), getting a similar fee for someone who has barely played for two years would be quite an achievement.
Worst: losing Cristiano Ronaldo
Finally, there's no doubt about the worst piece of business that Real Madrid could conclude this summer: receiving a huge cheque for the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The stories and angles on Ronaldo might change day by day, but the initial reports of him wanting to leave the Bernabeu, per Sky Sports' Kaveh Solhekol, haven't been fully addressed one way or another. Even landing a world-record fee for a player already in his 30s would be abysmal for Los Blancos—there's simply no possible way to replace such a figure.
He is the most marketable footballer around, according to the Sports Marketing Power List by the London School of Marketing (h/t The Mirror's Mick Gadd), and he sets record goal hauls, has a relentless drive to change and improve and has averaged more than a goal per game over an eight-year period. Nobody on this planet can offer Real Madrid that in exchange for Cristiano.
It seems the options are keep him or redefine the first-team piece by piece immediately after one of the club's best seasons in the past two decades. It's not much of a decision.
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