Real Madrid’s Transfer Plans Revealed: No Mbappe Signing and Focus on Defensive Improvements
In a press conference ahead of the La Liga opener against Bilbao, Real Madrid’s head coach Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that the club will not be signing a striker for the remainder of the 2023 summer transfer window.
During the press conference, when asked about the possibility of Real Madrid signing a forward before the transfer window closes, Ancelotti replied: “I don’t think so. Real Madrid has been scoring many goals and creating numerous opportunities in the pre-season period. I believe our attacking line is in good shape.”
The Italian manager further praised the new signing Joselu, who has been performing well and posing a threat inside the penalty box. Joselu joined Real Madrid on loan from Espanyol, one of the teams relegated from La Liga in the 2022-2023 season, as a replacement for the team captain Karim Benzema. Joselu left a strong impression with his acrobatic goal in the 2-0 friendly victory against Manchester United on July 27th in Houston.
Ancelotti also emphasized that he’s not concerned about the goal-scoring aspect, highlighting the abilities of players like Vinicius, Rodrygo, Joselu, Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, and Toni Kroos to finish chances. Additionally, defenders like Eder Militao and Antonio Rudiger are also capable of contributing goals during set-piece situations.
This statement from Ancelotti implies that Real Madrid will not engage in negotiations to acquire Kylian Mbappe in the final three weeks of the transfer window. After rejecting an extension until June 2025, the French forward was excluded from PSG’s starting lineup and placed on the transfer market. However, Real Madrid is not willing to spend over $100 million to sign a player with only one year left on his contract.
Ancelotti views Real Madrid’s main concern in the early stages of the season as their defensive line. The team managed to keep a clean sheet only once, with a 2-0 win over Manchester United. In other matches, they secured a 3-2 victory against Milan, but suffered defeats against Barcelona (0-3) and Juventus (1-3).
The situation escalated when the first-choice goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois suffered a cruciate ligament injury in his left knee during training on August 10th, with a possibility of being sidelined for the entire 2023-2024 season. Therefore, Andriy Lunin will start as the main goalkeeper in the La Liga opener. Ancelotti expressed his complete confidence in Lunin, praising him as a young, talented goalkeeper who lacks experience, but can improve over time with more playing opportunities. The Italian manager even hinted at the possibility of not signing an established goalkeeper and instead signing a backup goalkeeper to support Lunin.
Regarding the team’s lineup for the upcoming season, Ancelotti analyzed: “Throughout the pre-season period, Real Madrid has shown the ability to adapt to different styles of play and various formations. We’ve been operating with a diamond formation, which has been effective in some aspects but not in others, such as defense. We won’t be relying solely on one system. Real Madrid can play in a 4-3-3 formation with a central striker, or in a 4-2-3-1 formation.”
