Carlo Ancelotti has been tasked with the responsibility of rebuilding Real Madrid following Zinedine Zidane’s resignation. The Italian has returned for a second spell at the Spanish capital after a successful debut tenure- guiding Los Blancos to the Copa del Rey and winning the 10th Champions League title after 12 long years. Don Carlo set the foundation for success which then reached its pinnacle under Zidane’s first tenure.
Well, this time around, Carlo Ancelotti is more than likely to inherit a completely different squad from his first stint. Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane, Marcelo, and Isco, who were once core members of Carlo’s squad, are on the brink of a possible exit this summer. There will be changes to the squad with several players being sold to clear out the deadwood and balance the books while a few recruitments could also be on the cards to bolster the squad depth.
Let’s have a look at three possible transfer targets that Carlo Ancelotti might want at Real Madrid this summer transfer window.
KYLIAN MBAPPE
Kylian Mbappe is the obvious first choice that any manager would want. The 22-year-old French international has only gotten better with time and has been phenomenal in the 2020-21 campaign- scoring 40+ goals in all competitions.
Real Madrid have lacked the aura of a goalscorer and a mentality monster in their frontline since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure. However, Mbappe is the one player in world football who could actually fill in the void of the Portuguese.
However, Carlo Ancelotti did make quite a statement in his first press conference when asked about signing a thorough goalscorer (Mbappe). The Italian’s primary objective is to first build an attacking system through which all forwards can contribute towards scoring goals and not just Karim Benzema. Ancelotti’s attempt at fixing the system looks promising, however, the signing of Mbappe will certainly make it a lot easier to score goals consistently.
JULES KOUNDE OR PAU TORRES
Real Madrid have a face serious issue with their two first-choice center-backs. Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos could both be heading towards the exit door this summer. The former wants a better contract and a new challenge while the latter is yet to ink fresh terms with his current deal expiring on the 30th of June.
If both are to leave in the same window, the Merengues will have David Alaba, Eder Militao, and Nacho Fernandez as their first-team center-backs. Jesus Vallejo is also an option who has returned from Granada while on loan, however, the Spaniard is not up to the mark to be a starter and can be sent on another loan or be sold permanently.
The club will look to add more depth to the defence and could sign either Sevilla’s Jules Kounde or Villarreal’s Pau Torres.
Both the youngsters are fantastic defenders with immense potential. Kounde has been one of the best defenders in LaLiga over the past two seasons, as Los Blancos can attest. Meanwhile, Torres is also a composed center-back with an incredible left foot that never misplaces a pass. The two offer different options and are great signings for the club to replace Ramos or Varane.
CRISTIANO RONALDO
I know this is an unlikely transfer or quite unrealistic, but you can’t simply write it off yet. Carlo Ancelotti was questioned about a potential reunion with Cristiano Ronaldo during his press conference and preferred not to pass any comment since he’s a Juventus player.
The 36-year-old is on the back of an expiring contract with Juventus that runs out in 2022 and the Bianconeri could consider offloading the megastar to reduce their inflated wage bill. Ronaldo has been linked with a return to Real Madrid in the past and Carlo Ancelotti even gave a satirical remark on how Ronaldo is not yet over at a press conference.
The Portuguese international still has two or three years left in his belt to perform at the highest level. If Real Madrid fails to sign Kylian Mbappe, then they do not need to look any further than bringing back Ronaldo. However, this is extremely unlikely as the club has moved on and is keen on younger recruitments for the future.
Under Carlo Ancelotti, Ronaldo was performing at a different level altogether- scoring 112 goals and 47 assists in just 101 games under the Italian manager. Sure, age has caught up with the Portuguese, however, he can still be a short-term solution to solve the goalscoring issues at Real Madrid.