Real Madrid now need to prioritise a defensive overhaul, addressing an ageing backline, a lack of depth, and recurring fitness issues among key players.
Real Madrid have managed to put together a team that has dominated Europe for the past decade. While they have successfully replaced all their star forwards and are now home to some of the best young midfielders and attackers, the same cannot be said about their backline.
Fitness has been a major concern for their defence in recent years, and the lack of depth has forced Carlo Ancelotti to bet on midfielders and academy players to fill in those roles.
While the Italian manager somehow ended up winning the UEFA Champions League and La Liga last season without having two of his key central defenders for the majority of the season (Eder Militao and David Alaba), Ancelotti once again finds himself in a very difficult position as Militao has once again ruptured an ACL, and Alaba is yet to recover from his injury.
With defensive sensation Joan Martinez also out injured, Ancelotti only has Antonio Rudiger and Jesus Vallejo available to him. While he could continue to use youth team star Raul Asencio at the back and will look to bring in a new central defender to cope with the issue in the short term, Los Blancos need a revamp at the back to maintain their dominance in Europe.
Apart from their central defenders, they do have a lot of issues out wide on the flanks as Dani Carvajal also ruptured his ACL. Lucas Vazquez, who provides cover to the Spanish international, has also picked up an injury and with the duo on the wrong side of 30, a new right-back is also at the top of their wishlist.
What has gone wrong for Real Madrid in recent years?
Florentino Perez has systematically invested in young attackers and midfielders over the last five to six years. However, the reigning La Liga champions have not made any significant investments to bolster their defence in the same time frame.
Their biggest mistake was to not sign a world-class central defender last summer. After struggling with injuries last time out and considering the departure of Nacho, their priority should have been to bring in a young centre-back to add more depth at the back.
While they wanted to sign Leny Yoro, they ended up losing out on him as Manchester United flexed their financial muscle to get a deal over the line. The rise of Joan Martinez might have convinced Real Madrid to take a backseat in the summer. However, their decision could soon cost them big time as the majority of their defensive stars are out injured.
The struggling backline
Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, and David Alaba are the three preferred central defenders at Real Madrid under Ancelotti. While Jesus Vallejo is also a part of the squad, the Italian manager does not really count on him.
Alaba is already 32, and he last featured for the team in white towards the end of 2023. While he was expected to be back by now, the Austrian international is yet to regain full fitness and might not return until the start of 2025.
While Rudiger is at the top of his game and he is the go-to man for Ancelotti with Alaba and Militao injured, the German international is also on the wrong side of 30. Both Rudiger and Alaba’s contracts at Real Madrid run out in 2026, and they will enter the final year of their deals next summer.
With two of their key central defenders in the final phase of their career, Los Blancos need to bring in their long-term replacements next summer to ensure a smoother transition.
Militao might only be 26, but Real Madrid do have a massive decision to make about his future as the Brazilian international has ruptured the ACL on both legs over the last 24 months. He is set to be sidelined until the summer of 2025 and when he returns, it won’t be easy for him to play at the level he was a few years ago.
The two major injuries will take a massive toll on him, and he might not be the same player. Meanwhile, Vallejo might only be 27 but his contract runs out at the end of the season, and he could look to leave Madrid in search of regular first-team action.
Revamping the defence
The first thing Los Blancos need to do is to put a lot of trust in Raul Asencio who was subbed on in place of Eder Militao in their last game against Osasuna. The 21-year-old made a bright start, and the team in white will hope he makes the most out of the opportunities he will get over the next few weeks.
The initial focus will be on signing a new central defender in the winter transfer window to ensure they get past the 2024/25 season without much trouble. While Real Madrid have the option to bring back Sergio Ramos, who is a free agent at this point, Los Blancos could choose to be on someone like Jonathan Tah or Aymeric Laporte.
Asencio and a winter signing along with the potential return for Alaba should be good enough for them in the short-term. As far as the long-term is concerned, they will hope Asencio and Joan Martinez can become important first-team players.
But, they will also need to sign two central defenders in the next summer window. Ideally, Real Madrid fans would want one of Cristian Romero or Alessandro Bastoni to be their marquee summer signing. Both of them are amongst the best defenders in the world and are heading into their prime.
It will be the perfect time for the Merengues to add them to their squad. They can help them transition from Rudiger and Alaba. Apart from signing a well-established star, they also need to bring in a young central defender like Castello Lukeba or Vitor Reis, who can help them in the short as well as the long run.
Los Blancos also need to address the issue on the right flank as both their right-backs are in the final phase of their career. While Carvajal’s contract has been extended until 2026, Vazquez could leave the club at the end of the season.
Even if he ends up staying, Real Madrid do need to plan for the long run and they have their eyes set on Trent Alexander-Arnold. They are looking to sign him as a free agent and his arrival will surely sort the right-back problem. While they are also plotting a Bosman move for Alphonso Davies, they are well covered at left-back, and signing Davies will represent an upgrade in that position.
