The elimination of Real Madrid from the Champions League confirmed the suspicions of many that this squad has reached its limit. The team has been performing well below expectations all season. Several players are not performing, and others are just scraping by, even though they are not offering the same level of performance as in previous seasons. In short, Real Madrid’s shortcomings have been exposed, and decisions must be made ahead of the summer transfer window.
After the defeat against Arsenal at the Santiago Bernabéu, one of the players who stood up and was most critical was goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who gave a point-by-point review of everything his beloved team is lacking in a season to forget.
One of the shortcomings highlighted by the Belgian goalkeeper is that “We put in a lot of crosses, but this year we don’t have a Joselu, a natural striker up front.” Another truth from Courtois. Real Madrid lacks a pure number 9. Mbappé is not comfortable in that position and, in fact, in most games his heat map overlaps with Vinicius’ on the left. The only pure number 9 in the squad is Endrick, and Ancelotti does not trust him.
This season, the lack of play has forced Real Madrid to hang balls into the box, but there was no number 9 who could finish them off, no man in the box who could threaten in difficult moments. There is talk in the Real Madrid camp of several names who could arrive if Vinicius Jr. finally leaves the Santiago Bernabéu. Names such as Haaland, Saka, and Viktor Gyökeres.
Replacements for Vinicius or Rodrygo
In recent months, Vinicius has been in the spotlight due to his controversies, his poor performance on the pitch and the dizzying offers coming in from Saudi Arabia that could force him out, although the aim of both the player and the club is to maintain their relationship and for the player to take a step forward in the future.
Another player who has attractive suitors given the restructuring that the Whites want to carry out is Rodrygo. It would be a painful sale, but the current attacking trio formed by the two Brazilians and Mbappé has shown that it is not working.
But just in case, amid all the speculation surrounding Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo, the Whites are not wasting any time and already have two of the biggest stars of the moment on their agenda to replace the Brazilian if he leaves. Nico Williams and Wirtz are the options Madrid are considering if Vinicius leaves.
Those two names are not the only ones. The list includes three names that do not go unnoticed on the European scene. The first is Viktor Gyökeres, a striker for Sporting Portugal. Also on the list is Rafael Leão, star of AC Milan. The third option is Haaland, who has become a priority.
A ‘9’ for $40 million
If Real Madrid decides to strengthen its attack, there is one name that has appeared on the agenda. According to fichajes.net, the name of Patrik Schick has come up. The Czech footballer plays for Bayer Leverkusen and is one of the big revelations of the Bundesliga. In addition, according to the same source, the German club values him at 40 million euros. This figure is obviously affordable and would not pose any problem. It should also not be overlooked that Xabi Alonso is his current coach and he is a strong candidate to join Real Madrid. What’s more, he is the favorite to succeed Carlo Ancelotti.