The best is yet to come

Madrid can already consider this season a success: a League seasoned with a Spanish Super Cup, two successes that may be small if he manages to add a new Champions League to that; For now, they need to come back from 4-3 in the first leg of the semifinals at City’s home, next Wednesday at the Bernabéu. But whatever happens, it will be clear that this Madrid, with Carlo Ancelotti at the helm, has a sufficient base to launch the new project, to which new faces will arrive to give an extra boost.

With one of those incorporations all Madridismo counts: Kylian Mbappe. The Frenchman was able to arrive in the first days of September 2021, but PSG refused to transfer him despite the fact that Madrid put up to 200 million on the table. In recent weeks, the striker has sent disturbing messages, implying that his renewal is a possibility, but from Madrid they transmit calm: they trust the agreement that was reached with him and understand these statements as a way to make their Last days at PSG.

The arrival of Mbappé would be the most important, but by no means the only one. Recently, the white club reached an agreement in principle with Rüdiger so that the German center-back also arrives at no transfer cost, while Tchouaméni, from Monaco, is closely followed, as an option to finally have a footballer with the same profile as Casemiro in the squad. Although for some to enter, others must leave. Three have their departure assured: Bale, Isco and Marcelo; all end contract and will not be renewed.

Vallejo will be searched for a team, either transferred or loaned; it is not in the plans to sell Lunin, but he could look for a way out to guarantee himself to play more; Ceballos and Asensio enter the last year of their contract, so they will either renew or leave; Jovic knows that he doesn’t count and his agents are already looking for offers; and Mariano will have the door open again, but in the past he refused to cross it. What happens to all of them will also depend on the fate of those on loan who return: Kubo (pending the nationalization of Vinicius to have a place), reinier (after hardly playing in Dortmund, he will go back on loan), Odriozola and Borja Mayoral.

Mbappé: the cornerstone of the next Madrid

He was about to arrive in 2017, but the presence of the BBC and his salary demands made him end up at PSG. Since then, Madrid has been aware of his situation and last summer, when he was facing the last year of his contract, he made a very serious proposal, which started at 160 million and ended at 200. But there was no way, which will end with the Frenchman signing for Madrid for free, although with a succulent signing bonus for him, in addition to a galactic salary.

But if Mbappé ends up playing for Madrid, it’s because he wants it that way; if money is the central issue, PSG’s offer is certainly more attractive. But Kylian has been a white fan since he was a child (that stage is fully documented) and he wants to be a legend in the biggest club. Ancelotti will have to think about how he is going to fit Mbappé and Vinicius into the same eleven; both start preferably from the left of the attack.

Tchouaméni: a potential Casemiro if the price is right

In Madrid’s planning, there is a position in the center of the field that has preference when it comes to being renewed: that of the defensive midfielder, that is, Casemiro’s. The Brazilian is the only player on the team who does not have a specific replacement; when he has been absent, Modric, Kroos, Valverde, Camavinga, Ceballos, Blanco have played there… With Tchouaméni, Madrid can remedy that, although it will not do so at any price.

The 22-year-old Monaco midfielder is valued at €40m according to Transfermarkt, but the Monegasque club has much higher initial claims. Too much for a replacement, although the summer is long, the midfielder’s contract ends in 2024 and Madrid hopes that its price will be reduced as the market closes. If it happens, it can come; if not, Valverde or Camavinga can act in that position, and there is the option of promoting a pearl as Blanco.

Rüdiger: another elite defender at zero cost

Real Madrid has taken a liking to operations at zero cost: this is how Mbappé will arrive and this is how Alaba arrived, after ending his contract last summer with Bayern. He did it in exchange for a succulent salary and his fit in Madrid has been perfect, practically from day one. An option that he wants to repeat now with Rüdiger, who began the course refusing to renew with Chelsea and who has already announced that he is leaving, as Tuchel himself confirmed. The London team, in addition, cannot renew him right now due to sanctions by the United Kingdom.

The interest cooled down in the first half of the season due to his high salary demands, but the quarter-final matchup in the Champions League revived it and there is already a principle of agreement with the player. He is not closed, but Madrid is the best placed at the moment to incorporate him. His arrival would return Alaba to left back.