Real Madrid’s summer transfer window

Real Madrid had a mere Copa del Rey to show for their efforts in the 2022/23 season.

While silverware of any stature shouldn’t be scoffed at, such a return is simply sub-par for a club of Real Madrid’s standing. In La Liga, Carlo Ancelotti’s side were beaten to the crown by a resurgent Barcelona, while they were blown away by Manchester City in the Champions League semi-finals.

It was that thrashing at the Etihad that surely convinced the decision-makers that change was necessary in the summer, although allowing Karim Benzema to jet off on a Saudi adventure surely wasn’t the evolution Madridistas were hoping for.

Overall, the summer changes perhaps weren’t as drastic as some expected, especially after Benzema departed, but there’s no doubt that Ancelotti is ushering the capital club into a new era with a fresh-faced Galactico leading the way.

Here’s 90min’s assessment of Real Madrid’s summer business.

Jude Bellingham – A+

“If you are what you say you are, a superstaaaarr…”

Jude Bellingham must be listening to Lupe Fiasco’s classic on repeat right now. Signed at the start of the summer window, Real Madrid must be laughing at the fee they paid for the supreme midfielder. £88.5m looks poultry given what Premier League clubs eventually started shelling out for central controllers towards the end of the window.

Bellingham has slotted in seamlessly right from the get-go, with Ancelotti altering to a midfield diamond to cater for the young Englishman’s needs. He was excellent in pre-season, and Bellingham has gotten off to the dream start in La Liga.

Already worshipped by the Bernabeu faithful, Bellingham has swiftly acquired superstardom and the level he could reach in the Spanish capital is nothing short of frightening.

Fran Garcia – B

Garcia starred for Andoni Iraola’s enterprising Rayo Vallecano outfit last season and Real Madrid opted to bring him back for a modest fee.

With Ferland Mendy struggling to rediscover his most electric form, left-back depth was required this summer and signing the spritely Garcia for a mere £4m looks to be a smart piece of business.

Joselu – C

In isolation, signing the Newcastle icon was far from a bad piece of business. The veteran Spaniard boasts a different profile compared to Real Madrid’s current forward options and is a handy player to bring off the bench. The 33-year-old scored 30 La Liga goals across the previous two campaigns.

However, the Joselu signing looks much worse now that the club failed to adequately replace Benzema. Florentino Perez was hoping to finally secure the services of Kylian Mbappe, but a move never materialised, while the idea of Harry Kane was flirted with.

Arda Guler – B

Guler’s rise has been swift, and it looked for a while as if he’d be heading to Barcelona. However, Madrid swooped in and signed the talented young playmaker for a relatively modest fee given Guler’s potential.

The 18-year-old Turkey international arrived with plenty of hype, and some fear whether this move might’ve come too soon for a talent who hasn’t played a whole lot of senior football.

A foot injury sustained in pre-season certainly hasn’t helped his cause, but Guler undoubtedly has the skill set to quickly establish himself at the Bernabeu once he returns to full fitness.

Kepa Arrizabalaga – B

The club drafted in Kepa from Chelsea on an emergency loan after Thibaut Courtois tore his ACL in pre-season.

Instead of trusting Andriy Lunin, Madrid opted for a more established senior option in Kepa. While the Spaniard never lived up to his ludicrous £72m price tag, he enjoyed a fairly stable final few months at Chelsea and should be a serviceable option in 2023/24.

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Karim Benzema – F

While Benzema struggled to match the highs of 2021/22 last season, Madrid would’ve loved for the reigning Ballon d’Or holder to have finished his career in the Spanish capital. They certainly wouldn’t have envisaged him departing for the Saudi Pro League on a free transfer.

Madrid’s inability to replace him this summer renders the Frenchman’s exit nothing short of a disaster even if he doesn’t have many years at the top level left.

At least he didn’t join a European competitor.

Marco Asensio – E

Once touted as the club’s next big thing, Asensio never quite lived up to the hype, but he was a very useful player for Ancelotti last season who delivered several clutch moments.

Madrid wanted him to extend his contract in the capital, but the Spaniard instead opted to test the market and signed for potential Champions League rivals Paris Saint-Germain.

Antonio Blanco – C

Blanco had shown some promise in a Real Madrid shirt before his loans, but the club’s congested midfield which is stacked with elite talent meant he was never going to break through.

Alvaro Odriozola – D

The diminutive Spaniard only fleetingly looked like he was of the requisite quality, but his departure means Madrid are going to be relying a lot on the health of Dani Carvajal at right-back.

Mariano Diaz – D

While Mariano rarely showed he was capable of leading Madrid’s line, it might’ve been an idea to keep him around for another year as forward depth given that the only striker they signed this summer was Joselu.