Real Madrid: 5 players that should have been brought this summer

The title might seem a little misleading. It might seem as though I am suggesting that the Blancos should have signed five players for their squad, but the truth is that the roster of the Galacticos is so well-balanced and strong that only a few tweaks here and there was the need of the hour.

The Merengues have slowly and steadily built one of the strongest squads in Europe, many thanks to the clever work of Florentino Perez and the subtle art of Zinedine Zidane. However, with the sales of Alvaro Morata and Danilo and the departure of James on loan to Bayern, there were some gaps to be filled.

And Real Madrid did sign extremely well in this window, adding the highly-talented Dani Ceballos, Marcos Llorente, Jesus Vallejo and Theo Hernandez to their squad, but they could have added at least one more.

So here are 5 players out of which Madrid could have signed to make their squad even stronger…

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#5 Thomas Meunier

After the departure of Danilo to Manchester City, there was an opening for the deputy right-back slot under Dani Carvajal. When Danilo was bought for €30 million, he was supposed to race ahead of Carvajal and become the first-choice.

However, the Spaniard’s constant rise and Danilo’s subpar performances meant that there was only going to be one lion in the jungle – and so the Brazilian left. For a time, it was being reported that Los Blancos were interested in bringing in Thomas Meunier, but the move never materialised.

Although he would have been a brilliant addition to the squad, he is perhaps too good to play as a backup to Carvajal. And that’s perhaps why he didn’t join Madrid with the World Cup up ahead next year.

Also, Madrid have a highly-talented Achraf Hakimi in their ranks, so it wasn’t really a big miss – but who wouldn’t love to have Meunier in their team?

#4 Gabigol

Gabigol was a misfit at Inter

I have been beating the Gabigol-to-Madrid bush for a while now, but the Madrid club were never interested in the former Inter whizkid. In the end, however, Gabriel Barbosa, aka Gabigol, left Inter for Benfica on a year-long loan deal – something that Madrid should have done instead.

While some seem to think that Borja Mayoral shouldn’t be dismissed so early, his performances and confidence took a severe hit at Wolfsburg. Yes, the same thing happened to Gabigol at Inter, but let’s not kid ourselves and think that Mayoral is as talented as the Brazilian.

Madridistas like to see their canteranos succeed, but the club above anything else should always be the policy. With the erratic form of Benzema and the fragility of Bale, Madrid could have done a lot worse than sign the Brazilian.

#3 Kasper Dolberg

Dolberg was phenomenal for Ajax last season

Along with Kylian Mbappe last season, Kasper Dolberg was the best teenage striker in Europe. The Dane was absolutely outstanding for a young Ajax side that saw themselves reach the final of the Europa League and were only beaten by the experience of Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United.

Dolberg might not have made as many headlines as his French counterpart, but it speaks volumes about someone when he scores 23 goals in 47 games as a 19-year-old kid. There are reports that the teenager might be off to Dortmund in January, which leaves his door to Madrid completely shut.

Some might argue that he doesn’t possess the technique to play for the Galacticos, but his scoring instincts coupled with Zidane’s touch could have made him into something for the Merengues.

#2 Kylian Mbappe

The crown jewel of Europe

For most of the summer, Kylian Mbappe was supposed to be heading to Real Madrid. And it might have taken place had he been provided with the wages that Paris-Saint Germain offered him. Also, the fact that he is guaranteed to start for PSG alongside Neymar worked as an added incentive for the teenage French star.

Mbappe is already regarded as one of the gems of Europe’s top echelons. The 18-year-old has already been picked for France and will almost certainly play for them next year at the World Cup.

There is still a chance that he might yet end up at Madrid someday, but the present is where we live – and at this point of time, it is as clear as crystal that the Merengues are a bit short upfront. And Mbappe would have done them a world of good.

#1 Andrea Belotti

The could have been team-mates this season

There were so many great forwards in the market this season that it is quite absurd that Madrid didn’t seek to bring in even one. Yes, Cristiano Ronaldo is banging them in every week like it was as easy as eating croissants for breakfast, but the rest of the forwards are woefully unreliable.

Belotti had a superb season with Torino last year and is destined to play for a big club someday – which might as well be Real Madrid – but with each passing year, his value might increase if Torino decided to offer him a new contract with a higher release-clause.

Strong and physically-imposing, coupled with silky technique and an eye for goal, he is the type of striker Madrid haven’t had ever since the departure of Ruud van Nistelrooy – and we all know what the Dutchman did in his first two seasons with the Galacticos.