Real Madrid is looking for a fresh start under a new manager after a trophy-less season. Carlo Ancelotti returned for his second spell with Los Blancos replacing the Frenchman, Zinedine Zidane. Don Carlo has been trusted with re-building this Madrid side and that only makes the summer’s transfer window all the more anticipated.
The summers will also see the commencement of the European Championships. Though happening in 2021, the tournament will still be called ‘Euro 2020’ and would be a great stage to see some of the top transfer targets in action for all clubs around Europe. As such, these are the top 5 players that Madridistas and the Real Madrid board should keep a close look on.
5. Spain CB Pau Torres
The first player on this list is a friendly LaLiga face, Pau Torres. Torres plays for Villareal CF in the Spanish first division and, he has been developing a partnership with Sergio Ramos in Spain’s national side. Though the latter was left out of the squad, Pau Torres would be a key player in the Spanish defense in the Euros.
Real Madrid’s ever-reliable center-back pairing of Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane are both on the probable outgoings list this summer. As such, keeping a close eye on possible center-back targets would be hovering on Carlo Ancelotti’s head. The Spaniard had a fabulous 2020-21 season, ending it with a European title, the Europa League. He was also a part of Squawka’s LaLiga team of the season.
He was earlier listed in our available defender’s list for the summer. He would have a 65 million euros release clause activated in the summer. Working without reserve players for the center-back position isn’t ideal. Though, there are questions about his price tag keeping an eye on him would still be a smart thing to do. He, after all, is someone tried and tested to the Spanish conditions and the Royal White club needs to find their bench strength after a season wracked with injuries and fatigue.
4. England FW Jadon Sancho
The speculation around Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho is operating on a level of its own, making it excruciatingly hard for fans to follow these updates and deciding which to believe and which not. He is linked with heavy interests from several Premier League clubs that include Manchester United.
Like the other players on this list, Sancho too had a fabulous 2020-21 season. Among 51 total appearances with club and country, he found the net 19 times and has 15 assists to his name, per WhoScored. He is the sort of player who can help Real Madrid get their much-needed goals from the wings. He is equally effective on both flanks and can be a creative presence on the pitch.
He was very deservedly called up for the Euros and would be competing with footballing stars like Marcus Rashford and Harry Kane for a starting spot. Though his clubmate, Erling Haaland was heavily linked to the Royal White Club, Sancho is a character that can’t be put off the table, as we argued earlier too.
Jadon Sancho is currently valued at 100 million euros by Transfermarkt. With other parts of the squad needing attention, he could be an effective in-budget goal-scorer to keep an eye on in the Euros. He is one of the most exciting young players to watch at the moment and can be a good fit for the current Blancos squad.
3. Italy AM Nicolo Barella
Nicolo Barella has been one of the finest midfielders in Serie A this season and would be a key player for Roberto Mancini’s Italy at the Euros. The league winner has grabbed a lot of attention and earlier he featured as a potential Luka Modric replacement in our list of midfielders to watch on the transfer market.
Another key reason to have him on this list is the history he shares with Carlo Ancelotti. According to CalcioMercato, Carlo tried signing the midfielder for Napoli in January of 2019. The times seem about right for this move to happen, Don Carlo wants to work with the Italian, and Real Madrid can use a good alternative to the aging Luka Modric.
Barella would be playing in a strong squad of midfielders in the Euros. He will have to compete with talented players like PSG’s Marco Verratti, and Roma’s Lorenzo Pellegrini for a spot in the starting line-up. He had a great 2020-21 season with Inter Milan, winning the league and registering 10 goal contributions that included seven assists, per Whoscored.
He can be an ideal Luka Modric replacement and shares a similar creative mindset with quick and sharp exchanges. His ball carrying and clean footwork are also a characteristic part of his play. Overall, with Ancelotti’s return, he would be worth keeping an eye on at the Euros.
2. France CB Jules Kounde
As mentioned earlier, the center-back position would be an important one regarding the upcoming transfer window. As such, the player making his way into the Top 2 fits in this description right away. He is another friendly LaLiga face who has been the talk of the town after a fabulous campaign with Sevilla, Jules Kounde.
Kounde formerly featured in our list of available defenders and would be available for a release clause of 90 million euros, per La Razon. He has been linked heavily with Real Madrid and is seemingly their dream signing for the center-back position. The 22-year-old has been among LaLiga’s top 3 center-backs, comparable to Raphael Varane or Sergio Ramos.
He is predominantly a center-back but also can play on the right, which could be a point of interest for Real Madrid. The first-choice Right-back, Dani Carvajal remained prone to injury, after which the position saw some transition including Lucas Vazquez and Alvaro Odriozola. Having another choice for rotations and variable roles to change the system in between games can be a handy option to look for.
He would be a key player to keep an eye on as he joins the France squad that is one of the favorites to win the tournament. He would be on the same side as Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe, a system upfront that could soon be synonymous with Madrid’s attack and it’d be an exciting watch to see if they complement well.
1. France FW Kylian Mbappe
There again is no doubt about the player sitting atop this list. The rumor mills are going crazy around all the Mbappe rumors. The newer developments include him working closely with Karim Benzema in the France national camp. The two working together is an encouraging update and Karim has been all praises about the forward.
Well, it surely is an encouraging update but we shall see how things unfold. A Mbappe move, however, has had similar encouraging updates that we were confident enough to include in our bold predictions for the summer’s transfer window.
There is no use in praising the youngster’s talent, the football community is well aware of what I am talking about. Scoring 45 goals with his club and 48 overall in a single season isn’t a mean feat. He is linked to Real Madrid, almost for ages now, and would be the most important player to keep an eye on throughout the European Championships.
He would be playing for one of the favorite sides alongside Madrid-man Karim Benzema. And, that right there is the most important thing to watch out for. Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema playing together could be Real Madrid’s future frontline and it’d be the most interesting thing to watch for all Madridistas. We already saw glimpses in their warm-up match against Wales. And, what was seen in that match was encouraging enough for me to put him at Number 1.