Rating Real Madrid's summer signings after half a season

With half the season concluded, Real Madrid lead the pack in Spain's La Liga while they are also comfortably through to the Round of 16 in the Champions League. Following another busy summer transfer window which saw the arrival of World Cup heroes like Toni Kroos, James Rodriguez and Keylor Navas, it was matched by the gloomy departure of talents such as Angel Di Maria, Xabi Alonso and Diego Lopez. And as with most teams, Real Madrid took time to adjust to their new players.After suffering two embarrassing defeats against Real Sociedad and arch rivals Atletico Madrid early on, Carlo Ancelotti's men overturned their fortune by basking on a 22-match winning run in all competitions. The new signings adapting to their new environment helped the team return to last season's glory. We take a look at how the summer recruits have performed so far.Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect those of the website

#1 James Rodriguez

The golden boy of Colombian football is the latest in a long line of Galacticos. James Rodriguez joined Real Madrid for €80 million euros last summer after an outstanding 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where he scored six goals to win the Golden Boot.

He started his career slowly at Madrid, as he initially struggled to reach the heights he promised in the World Cup. However, after adapting to the slightly different midfield role that was offered to him at Real compared to his usual wide midfield position, James now seems to thrive in his new role.

The attacker has so far scored 10 goals for Los Blancos in all competitions and has also managed an impressive 9 assists. He may not have the defensive work-rate as his replacement Angel Di Maria, But he makes up for it with his impressive performance on the other end of the field.

After understanding that he will never be able to break the current partnership of Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo in the starting line-up, James to his credit has adapted brilliantly to his new role as a slightly deeper attacker. The FIFA 'Puskas' award which he received recently was another feather in his hat to mark his remarkable year.

The Colombian has so far lived up to his huge price-tag, but only time will tell whether James can produce this form consistently to become one of the world’s top superstars.

Rating – 8/10

#2 Toni Kroos

The 25-year-old German midfielder cannot have asked for more from the year 2014. After winning the World Cup with Germany, Toni Kroos became a Galactico after leaving Bayern Munich. The midfielder was assigned with the task of filling in the boots of the departed Xabi Alono, which he duly did.

Kroos took no time to adapt to Real. Since returning from the World Cup, he has steadily improved at the La Liga club to the point now where he has settled in perfectly to his new surroundings. He has so far managed an astonishing 12 assists for Madrid.

He became an instant hit among the fans with his passing abilities. He is good with the ball and without the ball for his ability to close down opponents quickly. He also has a wide range of passing and can pick the eye in the needle passes with relative ease along with ticking the ball around to maintain possession. He can also go long with his trademark diagonal crosses to switch play.

Ancelotti has used him in a deeper-lying role in front of the back four and, in that position, Kroos has provided a steady influence and stability to the side. It has also allowed Luka Modric to push forward more and create more chances. If Real are to regain their Champions League crown, it is imperative for the midfielder to stay fit for the rest of the campaign.

Rating – 8/10

#3 Keylor Navas

The 27-year-old stopper was one of the breakout stars of last summer's World Cup, making a string of superb saves as Costa Rica surprisingly topped the ‘Group of Death’ which also included England, Italy and Uruguay. Then they saw off Greece in the Round of 16 in a penalty shootout before succumbing to the Dutch in the same fashion in the quarter-final.

After his impressive display in Brazil 2014, he immediately attracted interest from all corners of the world, including Atletico Madrid, Liverpool and Arsenal, not to mention how close he was to joining Bayern Munich before the deal collapsed. Many believed it was a good thing as Navas would have hardly got any playing time in a team which had Ballon D'Or finalist Manuel Neuer between the sticks.

However, he did not make the brightest of choices later on when he joined Real Madrid, who already had one of the best in the business in Iker Casillas. Despite the Spanish World Cup winning captain struggling for form early in the season, the Costa Rican knew the difficult task he had in his hand if he was to replace him in the first team. And it was rightly proved as the 27-year-old struggled to get sufficient playing time.

The Costa Rican has started just the six games in all competitions for Los Blancos. He has done reasonably well as the stopper managed 15 saves in that period. But with an iconic figure such as Casillas in the dressing room, it is hard to see him get the nod ahead of the Spaniard to improve his potential.

He may regret his decision in the summer for ignoring other clubs to join the star-studded Madrid side. If he does not make a decision on his future soon, he might well become another promising player lost on Real’s bench.

Rating – 5/10

#4 Javier Hernandez

This was a peculiar deal for both the player and the club. Real Madrid gave one of their promising talents in the form of Alvaro Morata to Juventus and surprisingly brought the Mexican on loan to deputise Benzema. As far as the player is concerned, Hernandez decided to move from Manchester United for regular first team football and ended up warming the bench at Real.

It is no surprise that Chicharito has struggled to break into the starting lineup with Bale, Benzema and Ronaldo in the playing XI. He knew what he was getting himself into when he accepted the opportunity to join the La Liga giants in Madrid.

Optimistic fans expected him to become a similar star from the movie Goal 2, where a Mexican footballer Santiago Munez moves to Real Madrid to make a name for himself. But this Mexican's name may soon be forgotten from the world of football if the same trend continues.

Hernandez has started just the four games so far for Madrid in all competitions. In the league, he has started just the once and came on as a substitute a further seven times during which time he has managed to score just three goals. With local boy Jese Rogriguez returning from injury, Hernandez may even lose his spot on the bench.

Despite the star studded names United have up front, Hernandez had always got his fair share of games in a season to prove his abilities. But at Real, the situation has further deteriorated. It is unlikely that United will want to get the player back in January. So for the remainder of the season, Hernandez has got to find the best possible seat to warm himself on the bench.

Rating – 4/10