Real Madrid must invest in attacking depth, not Erling Haaland
There are rumblings that Real Madrid are going to push even harder for Erling Haaland as a response to El Clasico, but I am not buying it. Even before Real were embarrassed by Barcelona, who were once players in the Haaland transfer battle, the club was pessimistic about signing the Norwegian over Manchester City. And if you ask me, I think Real can kiss their chances goodbye after El Clasico. Why would he pick Real’s sporting project over City’s now?
Maybe it is all for the better. Real Madrid can use those 350 million euros to invest in the attacking depth that they very clearly don’t have. Although I am critical of Ancelotti’s unwillingness to get more out of Luka Jovic, Eden Hazard, Gareth Bale, Isco, and the rest of the backup attacking players – because, you know, he was hired to do this – I am also understanding of the fact that these forwards really aren’t good enough for a club with Madrid’s aspirations. Just look at who Bayern Munich and City have at their disposal to compare.
Amine Gouiri and Raul de Tomas are dream transfer targets who can play significant minutes to ease the load on Karim Benzema and play at a high level in the spot Jovic occupies. They are better fits for Real Madrid and more consistent than Jovic.
On the right wing, Real clearly need an upgrade. Marco Asensio is not good enough. Nobody can think he is good enough after seeing how he embarrassed himself and held back the team badly against PSG. Ancelotti’s faith in him is maddening, and he must be upgraded. Rodrygo Goes is not a real right winger; Real, in their scheme, need a left-footer who can dribble, create, and score a little bit. I get that the forwards will be filled in the XI with Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr., and Benzema as the trio, but they need a left-footed backup to replace Bale and Asensio. Takefusa Kubo isn’t ready yet. The likes of Antony and Raphinha, for example, are worth looking into, especially Antony.
Real Madrid need better options for their push to win it all. Depth is so important with the condensed schedule now, and having quality rotational pieces can encourage the starters resting and make the difference between an early exit and a Champions League title. Remember how poorly Real played in 2020/21 against Chelsea due to all of their injuries?