Real Madrid had a pretty solid first half to the season. At the same time though, some of the shortcomings in this squad became abundantly clear in the weeks leading up to the World Cup break as injuries and fatigue took their toll on the players, amidst a gruelling schedule of games. Carlo Ancelotti’s suffered a downturn in form and as a result, Barcelona managed to sneak in ahead of them in the title race and now lead by two points.
One of the key weaknesses of this Real Madrid squad is the fact that they do not have a backup striker to Karim Benzema. Mariano Diaz is the only other recognised forward at the club, but he seems to be out of Ancelotti’s plans.
As a result, Rodrygo was converted into a forward while Benzema continued to struggle with injuries and ended up missing several games.
While the Brazilian did a decent job, he is not the most reliable of goalscorers yet and Real Madrid need more in that position. And it looks like they will have their eyes on the World Cup in search of a number 9.
Real Madrid using World Cup to scout another forward
As reported by AS, Real Madrid are no strangers to using the World Cup as a scouting report and this time will be no different. Los Blancos’ goal is to find a number ‘9′ that catches their attention. If somebody shines, the club will make them their priority.
Of course, Real Madrid have historically signed top performers from the World Cup over the years. Fans will be hoping this time won’t be any different.
But then, one has to remember that it will be much more difficult to sign players in the middle of the club season, than it would have been if the tournament had been held in the summer.