Real Madrid's defensive roster began to exhibit indications of disorganization shortly after the season began. Long-term injuries to key players like as Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal were the first signs that the season would be long for defense.
Raul Asencio came in as a godsend, bolstering the struggling defense to a strong position. David Alaba was absent since December 2023 and finally returned in January of this year. However, since his return, he has not been the same. His performances have made him substantially less trustworthy in important games than he was previously. This, too, however, did not persuade the board of a pressing need of a new-center back.
Although Antonio Rudiger has been good this season, Carlo Ancelotti was unable to accomplish much on his own and had to continually adapt to the presence of Aurelien Tchouameni. The German continually struggles with fitness and is frequently dropped for extended periods of time.
Real Madrid board may still not want to sign a center-back
Despite all of the concerns, the Real Madrid board has showed no evidence of recognizing the necessity to strengthen the heart of the defense. According to Relevo, there are many voices in Valdebebas that see the obvious need for a new center-back, but the board is unsure if the need is urgent or can be delayed longer.
From my perspective, the management's perplexity makes no sense. There is no denying that the lack of a dependable and consistent center-back is a serious issue. More center-backs are undoubtedly required to guarantee proper rotation and that all available players are rested and healthy for major games.
This, in turn, shows the essence of Real Madrid's management problem, which is also why Zinedine Zidane departed the club last time he was here. There is a lack of unanimity between the club's board and the management. The manager's requirements are rarely acknowledged, and only the board decides who is signed and who is not. The manager's proposals do not appear to have much weight, and he is just expected to work with what he is given.
Mismanagement is not new, either. However, the long-term consequences might be disastrous for Real Madrid. It is unclear what it will take for Real Madrid to see the necessity of reducing this danger and agree to engage with the managers to decide the direction of the team.