It’s not been a quiet summer for Real Madrid, as expected after a season without silverware and a minor revolution in the squad that still has several moves to make before the league starts, which is not long now. With the defense shored up and the arrival of Gonzalo up front, Real Madrid is now focused on strengthening the midfield, which is sorely needed. This is a crucial issue that hides a problem: it will cost a lot of money, a lot. Florentino is aware of this and is preparing a big move to strengthen the squad.
Problems in midfield
Real Madrid showed a major problem in midfield last season. The departure of Toni Kroos foreshadowed disaster, but not on such a scale. You never realize what you have until you lose it, and in the case of the German, everyone knew what they had, but perhaps they never fully appreciated how important he was to the team. His departure was compounded by a string of injuries throughout the season, with midfielders being moved to defense, as was the case with Tchuoaméni and Valverde on occasion, added to the constant injuries to Camavinga and Ceballos at his best, and with Modric unable to cope with the physical demands of modern football, although his quality kept him going.
The midfield has been orphaned all season, with only the relocation of Güler giving cause for hope, but the departure of the Croatian and the possible departure of Ceballos to Betis (although this seems unlikely) could leave a bleak picture for Xabi Alonso’s new project. Reinforcements are not just necessary, they are urgent if the club wants to compete on equal terms with Europe’s big guns. For LaLiga, it may be enough to fight for the title, as happened last season, but not to compete in Europe.
Enzo Fernández, Florentino’s bombshell
Enzo Fernández is the man chosen by Florentino Pérez and Real Madrid to strengthen the midfield. The Argentine midfielder fits what Real Madrid needs in midfield: defense, fight, organization, and ball movement. The player has proven his ability at Chelsea, which finished the season on a high note, winning the UEFA Conference League and the Club World Cup, beating PSG in the final, with the Argentine midfielder at the heart of the team.
A complicated signing
But the operation will not be easy, because Real Madrid will have to pay a lot of money to bring the player in. Chelsea are now asking for no less than $200 million for Enzo. This is a prohibitive figure that Florentino Pérez is not going to pay and will seek to reduce drastically. However, the current circumstances are working against him, as Chelsea has just pocketed €150 million for winning the Club World Cup, so money is not a problem at the moment despite the huge investment made ahead of the championship that crowned them the best club in world football.
Real Madrid wants Enzo Fernández for its midfield, and Florentino Pérez is willing to offer a lot of money to sign the player, but now Chelsea is asking for €200 million, and that figure will not be paid. There is still a long summer ahead for the Whites to find a way to lower the transfer fee, but it will not be an easy task.