“We have a great squad that is impossible to improve, and in Zidane we have someone who has given us a lot as a player and as a coach.”
In previous years, these words coming straight out of Florentino Perez’ mouth on deadline day would be translated by millions of euros spent for ‘Galacticos’ signings during the transfer window.
Regarded as one of La Liga’s – and generally European football’s – big spenders, Real Madrid raised a few eyebrows with their quiet transfer policy this summer.
According to transfermarkt.com, the Champions League winners spent less money on players than Barcelona (€122.75 million), Atletico Madrid (€81 million), Sevilla (€61.20 million) and Villarreal (€56.30 million).
While their main La Liga rivals in Barcelona signed six players, the €30 million fee paid to Juventus for the recapture of Alvaro Morata was the only money coming out from Perez’ pockets.
Aston Villa have spent more than Real Madrid in this transfer window… pic.twitter.com/6Ej0NxVtYp
— TheSPORTbible (@TSBible) August 31, 2016
Real Madrid closed the summer window with a positive transfer net surplus, but the club has proven over the years that profit is not their main objective when it comes to strengthening the squad.
AS.com pointed out that this was the lowest spending summer from Los Blancos in 13-years and the quietest in Perez’ second tenure as president of the club.
Real Madrid spent €30M this summer AND made a net profit on transfers—their lowest transfer spending in 13 years pic.twitter.com/a3lqquclAq
— Bleacher Report UK (@br_uk) September 1, 2016
Adding up the fact that Real Madrid is awaiting FIFA’s verdict on whether the team will receive a transfer ban, similar to Barcelona two years ago, questions were raised around the club’s transfer policy.
This speculation, however, can be explained with a certain football logic.
Real Madrid has maintained the core of team – a backbone of names that have played alongside each other for a considerable amount of time.
Although an acquisition of a defensive-midfielder would be more than welcome, the team’s lines seem full of talent.
With Kiko Casilla and Keylor Navas guarding the goalposts, the backline is made up of stars like Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Varane, Marcelo and Dani Carvajal.
Danilo, Nacho and Fabio Coentrao could also provide Zidane with some quality alternatives.
Things get a bit more constricted further up the field, as with Isco and James Rodriguez remaining in the team there are seven players (adding Casemiro, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Lucas Silva and Mateo Kovavic) competing for three positions in the midfield.
The same situation can be noticed in the team’s frontline.
Although the BBC is difficult to challenge, injuries to Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema brought Alvaro Morata and Marco Asensio into the starting lineup for the first three games of the season.
Both the returnees assisted their team to lifting the European Super Cup trophy against Sevilla, as well as taking six points out of the first two La Liga outings.
Without four of their starts (Pepe, Ronaldo, Benzema, Navas), Real Madrid still managed to get the most from the beginning of the season.
Florentino Perez’ conclusion could be described as rather too arrogant or too naive, but in football terms it seems strongly legit and the fans seem to embrace it.
In an online survey conducted by Marca, 28% of the 8,500 readers voted Real Madrid’s current squad as the most complete in the last 20-years.
Awaiting the FIFA sanctions, ‘Los Merengues’ decided to follow a different approach than their Catalan counterparts a couple of years ago.
While Barcelona signed Luis Suarez, Ivan Rakitic, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, Thomas Vermaelen and Mathieu during the summer window before their transfer ban, Real Madrid chose the path of renewals.
Ronaldo, Bale, Kroos and Modric are set to extend their contracts until 2020 and 2021, retaining the strong backbone to the squad.
Barcelona’s transfer policy back in the summer of 2014 led the club to an astonishing treble amid the surrounding controversy. It remains to be seen whether Real Madrid’s plan can produce similar results and prove Perez’ words right.
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