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Real Madrid have arguably made the most impact in the ongoing transfer window, having spent in excess of €270m to bring in five new players to the team.
The marquee signing has undoubtedly been that of Eden Hazard, as the Belgian skipper completed a long sought-after dream move and would be the beacon upon which Real Madrid builds their hope and aspirations for next term.
This splash of cash in the market is rather understandable given the severe level of underperformance by Los Blancos last season and they would hope their squad overhaul would amount to success next season.
While Real Madrid have strengthened major areas in their squad, there still remains some weak links in the team that need addressing. In this piece, we shall be taking a look at three areas which Los Blancos still need to address in their squad this summer.
#3 Attacking midfield
Real Madird's current attacking roster is arguably the best in the world, but it is in the linkup between midfield and attack where they might falter next season.
Karim Benzema, Luka Jovic , Eden Hazard and Vinicius Jr are all more than capable of causing major harm to opponents on their day, but there is only so much that they can do without quality service behind them.
There are a number of top class attacking midfielders currently employed by Real Madrid, but most of them are not in ideal circumstances at the club, as the likes of Isco and James Rodriguez are reportedly on their way out of the club while Luka Modric at 34 is rapidly approaching the tail end of his illustrious career.
The La Liga giants have been linked with a number of attacking midfielders including Paul Pogba and Christian Eriksen and there are high indications that the Frenchman could end up at the Bernabeu next season.
The attacking midfield position is one of the most important in a team, as any player occupying such positions is in charge of linking midfield with attack and creating chances for his advanced teammates and as such, it is imperative that Real Madrid fills this position this summer.
#2 Holding midfield
While a lot of attention and more emphasis might be placed on attacking players due to the flair they provide and goals they score, a useful and often underappreciated position in football is that of the holding midfielder.
The defensive midfielder is charged with breaking up opposition play and acting as a shield to the defense and at a club like Real Madrid where major emphasis is placed on attacking and aesthetic football, this role takes on more importance.
While Casemiro might be a top class holding midfielder in his own right, the sale of Marcos Llorente to Atletico Madrid (ostensibly as a replacement for the Manchester City bound Rodri) means that the Brazilian is left as the only recognized defensive midfielder at the Bernabeu.
This is a less than ideal situation for the club to be in especially considering that the capital club are reportedly considering using the 27-year-old as a makeshift to bring Neymar back to Spain.
#1 Backup goalkeeper
Thibaut Courtois arrived Real Madrid last summer having forced through a move from Chelsea in controversial circumstances.
However the 2018 World Cup Golden Glove winner had less than a stellar first season, as he struggled between the sticks for Real Madrid.
The Belgian international was the undoubted first choice during the tenures of Julen Lopetegu and Santiago Solari, but the return of Zinedine Zidane saw him alternate with Keylor Navas as the starting goalkeeper.
The Frenchman's trust in Keylor Navas (who played a major role in the successes enjoyed by Zizou during his first tenure on the Real bench) seemed to favor the Costa Rican international being restored as first choice, but new reports have emanated that the reverse would be the case, as the 32-year-old gave an emotional farewell on the last day of the season against Real Betis.
Benfica are reportedly close to completing a deal for Keylor Navas which if pulled through would leave the inexperienced Luca Zidane as the only backup to Thibaut Courtois and as such, Perez might have to sanction the purchase of an experienced backup goalkeeper.
