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Real Madrid are historically one of the most successful clubs in the history of football and in recent years, they have stamped their dominance by winning multiple titles, including the Champions League three times in a row.
However, Real Madrid have radically fallen apart in the ongoing campaign. They were knocked out of the Copa del Rey and the Champions League and are set to finish third in La Liga. Their poor performances could be attributed to two managerial changes in nine months and now with Zinedine Zidane being back at the helm, the club will look to perform better next season. Having guided the club to great success in his previous tenure, the Frenchman is ready to overhaul his squad, and thereby bringing in a wave of freshness into the team.
We take look at Real Madrid's probable starting XI for the next season based on Zidane's preferred 4-3-3 formation.
The Formidable Forward Line
Los Blancos have always been known for their fearsome attacking force. Fans still remember the effectiveness of the BBC combination, comprising of Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo, that wreaked havoc in opposition defenses.
Fans have been looking forward to the transfer of one particular player who has been linked to the Spanish club for a long time now - Eden Hazard. With rumors floating around that a deal has been struck between Hazard and Real Madrid, it would be a major coup for Real Madrid if they manage to snatch the Belgian.
Two other forwards who have been linked with Real Madrid are Kylian Mbappe and Neymar. Neymar recently expressed his desire to play alongside Hazard and Real could splash the cash for the talismanic Brazilian. However, the Mbappe saga has come to an abrupt halt with the player claiming that he will watch the Spanish club from afar, rather than leaving Paris Saint-Germain.
The Conducting Midfield
Luka Modric and Toni Kroos have been the mainstay of Real's midfield for half a decade now, with Casemiro operating as the pivot. Isco has been overlooked for most of this season but things have changed since Zidane returned. Players like Dani Ceballos and Brahim Diaz have the potential to become really good players in the future. That's in the future, though.
In recent days, the news of Paul Pogba to Madrid has been doing the rounds. This isn't surprising as the Frenchman, who lifted the World Cup last summer, is a real asset to whichever team he plays for.
Along with Pogba, the club are interested to sign Tanguy Ndombele from Olympique Lyon. The 22-year old is on the radar of many Premier League clubs but if Real come calling, they would be really hard to resist. However, Lyon wouldn't budge for anything less than €100 million for the youngster.
Another player that could join the club is Tottenham's Christian Eriksen with rumors claiming that the club have already reached a verbal agreement with the player.
The Rock-solid Defence
It is almost impossible to imagine Real Madrid without Sergio Ramos. The Spanish centre-back has established himself as the world's best over the years and his partnership with Raphael Varane is almost telepathic. However, there have been issues with the defence this time out and Real will want to sort them out as soon as possible.
Rumors have it that Raphael Varane is unsettled at the club. However, Zidane has played them down and insists that he will be in the squad next season.
Even if Marcelo has under-performed by his standards this season, he still wants to stay at Real and continue serving the club. Sergio Reguilon broke into the starting XI under Santiago Solari but has struggled for game time under Zidane. Nacho and Jesus Vallejo are quite good at deputing in defense, while the right wing-back position is taken up by Dani Carvajal.
Real have also wrapped up the signing of Eder Militao from FC Porto. He adds a lot of versatility to the squad because he can play both in right-back and defensive midfield positions.
The Goalkeeper Conundrum
Last summer, Real Madrid signed Thibaut Courtois from Chelsea for £35 million, which seemed like a bargain, considering the form he displayed in the World Cup. However, his journey so far hasn't been amazing to say the least. A series of bad performances have pushed him down the pecking order and Zidane prefers to field long-serving Keylor Navas instead.
Financial Issues
Real would be looking to cash in on Courtois and Gareth Bale with loanee James Rodriguez's future also hanging by a thread. They also plan on loaning out Brahim Diaz and Jesus Vallejo, who has shown a desire to play for Madrid in the upcoming years.
The club are bound by FFP regulations and amid plans to rebuild the Santiago Bernabeu, it would be almost impossible for them to land all the big three targets - Neymar, Hazard and Pogba. Hazard is the most likely to join them so far and Pogba could be signed Madrid raise money from player sales. Tottenham's Cristian Eriksen is another worthy alternative in case they fail to land Pogba. It would be interesting to see how the club shape up after the transfer window but fans hope that the team will be ready to challenge for both domestic success and European glory next season.
Real Madrid Predicted Starting XI for Next Season:
Goalkeeper: Keylor Navas
Defenders: Dani Carvajal/Eder Militao , Raphael Varane , Sergio Ramos , Marcelo
Midfielders: Eriksen/Isco , Casemiro , Luka Modric/Toni Kroos
Forwards: Marco Asensio/Lucas Vazquez , Neymar , Eden Hazard.
