Real Madrid have not spent money on any new signings in the winter transfer window for six years , since Brahim Diaz joined the club in 2018. President Florentino Perez and CEO José Ángel Sánchez have always been adamant that they will not strengthen their squad mid-season. However, the situation may have changed after the serious injury to Dani Carvajal, a key cog in the defense.

Carvajal’s serious injury could force Real to change transfer policy

Real Madrid’s scouting team are currently looking for a left-footed centre-back and a full-back to bolster Carlo Ancelotti’s struggling squad. In addition to Carvajal, Eder Militao has also suffered a calf injury and will miss the international break. Real Madrid take the total number of right-backs out to four, including David Alaba and young talent Joan Martinez.

Faced with this urgent situation, Real Madrid’s coaching staff held meetings at Valdebebas to assess the current situation. They discussed the need to strengthen the defense with new signings in January, in order to defend the title against fierce competition from rivals.

Prioritize buying left-footed center backs and full-backs

According to Marca, Castello Lukeba, a young French centre-back who plays for RB Leipzig, is currently the most promising candidate for the position Real Madrid are looking for. The 21-year-old made an impressive debut for the German team in 2023 and quickly became one of the pillars at the Red Bull Arena.

In particular, Lukeba has just won an Olympic silver medal with the French team, making Real Madrid scouts determined to promote this deal right in the winter transfer window. According to TransferMarkt, Lukeba’s value is currently estimated at around 40 million Euros.

Carvajal’s absence is a big loss for Real

In addition to Lukeba, Real Madrid are also keeping an eye on Victor Reis, an 18-year-old centre-back from Palmeiras, the former club of new signing Endrick. Despite his young age, Reis has already established himself as a key player in the Palmeiras squad and has been called up to the Brazilian youth team. Another notable name is Jorrel Hato, an 18-year-old centre-back from Ajax who has been called up to the Dutch national team.

Despite their rush to sign a new player, Real Madrid still pay attention to doing their due diligence before making any investment. Carlo Ancelotti’s assistant team sent someone to watch Lukeba’s performance in the Champions League match between Atletico Madrid and RB Leipzig . His ability to handle the ball calmly under pressure, along with his fighting spirit, has helped the young centre-back attract the attention of Real Madrid.

“King” style trading strategy

In addition to the above faces, Real Madrid can also consider recruiting the world’s top full-backs such as Alphonso Davies and Alexander Arnold. According to information, Real has expressed its intention to bring these two players to the Bernabeu at a reasonable price, when both have only one year left on their contracts with Liverpool and Bayern Munich.

President Florentino Perez said that Real’s strategy in pursuing these two stars will be similar to the way they did with Kylian Mbappe before: only accepting to spend money when the price is reasonable, not paying huge amounts.

If they cannot get Davies and Arnold in this winter transfer window, Real will wait until the summer of 2025 to negotiate, because the players all understand that Real only want to sign those who really want to play for the team.

Real Madrid look to Ancelotti for his resourcefulness

In the meantime, coach Carlo Ancelotti can still flexibly use the players in the squad. He can mobilize Tchouameni to play in the center-back position alongside Rudiger, while Lucas Vazquez will replace Carvajal and Camavinga will take the defensive midfield role alongside Valverde and Bellingham.

Ancelotti is renowned for his ability to make the most of his resources, and he has proven his class in the last two seasons. However, with the stability of arch-rivals Barcelona and the change in the Champions League format, Real Madrid will certainly not be able to sit still in the upcoming transfer windows.

There may be some blockbuster deals this winter, but to optimize the shopping, “Don Carlo”‘s team will conduct analysis and evaluation to find the names that best fit the team’s current playing style.