Real Madrid must rethink their strategy of not making signings

Real Madrid don’t want to make any signings this summer, but that decision could be complacent more than anything else.

Right now, every club in football is hurting financially, and Real Madrid are feeling the heat moreso than other big clubs like PSG or Manchester City. Los Blancos have plenty of resources and will be fine, but if they want to sign Kylian Mbappe next summer, in addition to Eduardo Camavinga, then they need to be financially prudent this year.

Therefore, Real are focused on selling first, buying later. They will part ways with Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez if they can, and then players like Oscar Rodriguez, Sergio Reguilon, and Lucas Vazquez could even be used to raise funds. Real have already sold Achraf Hakimi to Inter Milan for 40 million euros.

The problem is that if Real clean house without spending on anyone, they could be in major problem. Thanks to great defense and Zinedine Zidane’s managerial prowess, Los Blancos won La Liga. They were also given a boost by Barcelona and Atletico Madrid being so woeful; they cannot bet on that repeating in 2020-2021.

Real were exposed in the Champions League, though. Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City absolutely embarrassed them in the second leg at the Etihad Stadium, showing Madrid’s attacking and even midfield flaws to the world.

Bringing back Odegaard isn’t enough for Real Madrid

Zidane hasn’t be unresponsive. He’s already decided to call up Martin Odegaard and decline a second year on loan to Real Sociedad, giving Los Blancos one of the most creative attacking midfielders in the entire world. Dani Ceballos could be next.

But that’s not enough. Real still have a couple of serious needs that, if not addressed, could hurt the club in 2020-2021. Filling these needs would not require major signings; they could acquire quality players at a discount to make these upgrades. But a failure to make these small additions to the squad could cost Real Madrid in La Liga, especially if injuries hit.

Real Madrid don’t have a backup defensive midfielder for Casemiro, and this is a major issue. Los Blancos cannot run Casemiro into the ground for another season. Their depth at center back is underwhelming after main backup Eder Militao.

Players like Marc Roca and Benoit Badiashile shouldn’t cost more than 30 million euros apiece. Both are young, affordable, talented players who have the quality to be important backups at Real Madrid. They could be the difference between first place and second if anything were to happen to starters, even for one crucial match.

Los Blancos cannot make any impatient moves, but they need to be honest about where they are at and what they need. Assuming they can sell Bale, James, and a couple of other players who aren’t vital to the team’s success, they should have enough money to sign a couple of players who can boost the squad in 2020-2021 and in the years to come.