What will this summer hold for Real Madrid?

There was no stopping Real Madrid after the resumption of the Spanish football season. Indeed, Zinedine Zidane’s side won 10 straight games following lockdown to take control of the title race at the top of La Liga. Los Blancos head into the summer as Spanish champions for only the second time in the last eight years.

But for all the success Real Madrid have enjoyed this season in wrestling back the Spanish title from Barcelona, this is a group of players that still finds itself in the midst of a generational transition. The likes of Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and even Sergio Ramos will have to be phased out of the Real Madrid starting lineup over the next few years and so there is no time for Los Blancos to rest on their laurels.

However, there is a suggestion that the Santiagio Bernabeu club won’t have much money to spend this summer. The coronavirus pandemic has hit most clubs across Europe, but the noises out of Real Madrid are that they have been hit harder than most. Spanish football in general seems to have been hit harder than most.

Reports claim Real Madrid will have to sell players before they can buy anyone this summer. There is fortunately, for their sake, a lot of deadwood for them to shift. James Rodriguez, for instance, is now seen as surplus to requirements at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Colombian has struggled for game time this season and has been linked with a move to the Premier League.

Mariano Diaz is another who could be moved on, with the striker barely featuring for Real Madrid this season. Then there’s Gareth Bale, the Welsh winger who become something of a sideshow with his antics in the stands as Los Blancos marched their way to the Spanish title. If Real Madrid could find a buyer for Bale, significant funds could be freed up for new signings.

But selling these players in this depressed transfer market is going to be tough. Clubs are being more creative in the way they are strengthening this summer and so this might make it more difficult to sell their players in orthodox transfer deals. They might have to enter the loans and free agents market like everyone else if they want to reinforce their squad ahead of next season.

How well do you know European Football? Want to challenge the best Spanish Fantasy Managers? Play www.liga-fantasy.com now.