Real Madrid were the busiest team in the recently concluded European transfer market this summer. The Spanish giants spent a whopping €307 million on new arrivals, as part of Zinedine Zidane’s massive squad overhaul. It is a list of players that include Eden Hazard and Luka Jovic.
On the flip side, Los Blancos have sold a lot of their unwanted players including Mateo Kovacic and Theo Hernandez while Dani Ceballos was sent out on loan to Arsenal. And in this article, we will rate Real Madrid’s transfer market activity this summer.
Arrivals
Hazard’s €100 million arrival from Chelsea was a necessary one as Real Madrid had lacked an influential figure in attack following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo last summer. The Belgian is already regarded as one of the best players in the world, and much like Ronaldo, Hazard has been groomed in the Premier League.
Hazard is only 28 at the moment and is expected to become the face of the Real Madrid attack when he returns from injury. Same cannot be said for Jovic. The Serbian international arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt for a fee of €60 million. It is a massive risk given the fact that the striker had experienced only one good season in the Bundesliga.
The Spanish giants could have used that sum on someone like Mauro Icardi, who has recently joined Paris Saint-Germain.
Moving on, Ferland Mendy was signed from Olympique Lyonnais for €48 million. It is a sensible investment as Marcelo’s influence has waned over the past 12 months. Besides, Real Madrid recouped €20 million from the sale of Hernandez.
Eder Militao, on the other hand, is arguably the most important signing for Los Merengues this summer. The Brazilian’s arrival at the club means Madrid are preparing to move on from Sergio Ramos. Militao made quite an impact at Porto and could turn out to be an excellent signing from Zidane.
As far as wingers are concerned, Real Madrid signed Takefusa Kubo and Rodrygo. The latter was one of the best players in the Brazilian top flight, and it would be interesting to see if he can compete with his compatriot Vinicius Junior at the Bernabeu this season.
And finally, Alphonso Areola arrived from PSG as part of the swap deal for Keylor Navas, who moved the other way around. Areola will provide excellent competition for first-choice ‘keeper Thibaut Courtois.
Rating: 7/10
Departures
The sale of Kovacic made a lot of sense as the Croatian clearly had no future at Real Madrid. Not only that, but the club also received an impressive €45 million, which is €7 million more than what they had initially spent on the midfielder back in 2015.
Raul de Tomas, meanwhile, moved to SL Benfica for a fee of €20 million. The 24-year-old forward was never actually a crucial part of the first-team, and the club won’t be unfazed by his departure even though he did score 14 goals in La Liga last term.
Another significant departure was Marcos Llorente, who moved to Atletico Madrid for €30 million. It was a risky move from Real Madrid to offload him as they had no real defensive midfield option other than Casemiro. It will be interesting to see how this move pans out for the midfielder.
Moving on, Hernandez was signed by AC Milan for €20 million. It was a good deal that was beneficial for all the parties involved. Navas, meanwhile, as mentioned earlier, joined PSG. The Costa Rican was unhappy at the Bernabeu, and a switch to Paris makes sense.
The loan departures include Sergio Reguilon, who moved to Sevilla. It could help him gain some valuable game-time and return as an improved player. Same can be said for Jesus Vallejo as he joined Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League.
Speaking of Premier League, Dani Ceballos made a flashy move to Arsenal. The Spaniard has already made a splash at the Emirates, and Real Madrid could have an exciting talent on their hands if he continues to perform in England this term.
Rating: 9/10
