Real Madrid are set to wait until the summer to do transfer business and bolster the squad which is now without Xabi Alonso at the helm. The Spaniard left his role as Los Blancos manager on Monday (January 12th) and it's been a controversial seperation to say the least.
Alonso was believed to have wanted a new creative midfielder to be signed last summer but the club didn't listen to his demand. He had proposed swooping for Martin Zubimendi, who eventually ended up at Arsenal.
Madrid are expected to sign a new midfielder and central defender once this season concludes. But a new winger might be under discussion if Vinicius Junior's contract situation doesn't reach a positive conclusion.
Vinicius' deal is up in the summer of 2027 but reports suggest he put talks on hold to wait and see Alonso's fate. The pair weren't on the best of terms throughout the Spaniard's reign and he might now want to commit his future to the club.
But regardless of whether Vinicius is in the shop window or not, it seems the club are already ruling out a move for one of Europe's most highly-rated wingers. There are various reasons including Los Blancos' terrible track record of success with players of his nationality.
Real Madrid ruling out 'world class' winger
Madrid are focused on signing youth and as such are being linked with Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton and AZ Alkmaar's Kees Smit as midfield reinforcements. But there has been talk of Los Blancos potentially eyeing Bayern Munich winger Luis Diaz.
The 29-year-old has been one of Europe's most in-form attacking talents this season, posting 14 goals and 10 assists in 23 games across competitions. He has plenty of experience and has starred alongside Harry Kane and Michael Olise in Vincent Kompany's frontline.
Diaz was also a member of the Liverpool side that won the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the League Cup. He was dubbed "world-class" by Jurgen Klopp during his Anfield spell and the German is one of the top candidates to replace Alonso.
But Diario AS' Madrid columnist (via Madrid Universal) suggests there would be many stumbling blocks for Madrid to overcome in pursuit of Diaz. He is at Bayern where negotiations could be tricky especially after they spent €75m on him in the summer.
It's also pointed out that Madrid have " bad experiences with other Colombian players." Freddy Rincon and James Rodriguez are used as examples of former Colombia internationals who failed to impress at the Estadio Bernabeu.
Colombians crumbling in Madrid isn't the only issue
If Madrid were to pursue Diaz it could be a controversial decision because it is well known that he is a Barcelona supporter. His own father Luis Manuel Diaz explained this years ago (via Mundo Deportivo):
“Luis is a die-hard Barcelona supporter and it's one of his biggest dreams. We're grateful to Porto and Liverpool for treating him so well."
Diaz would be an excellent acquistion but his love for the Catalans and Colombians' past struggles at Madrid are off-putting. There were huge hopes James Rodriguez would become one of the world's greatest at the Bernabeu but that didn't happen and he endured a frustrating spell in the Spanish capital.