Real Madrid are expected to learn their fate over a FIFA-imposed transfer ban within the next day or two. If handed down, the embargo on signing players for two transfer windows will prevent the club from bringing in any new faces for the entirety of 2017.
And so, with a little over two weeks remaining of the current market, Real could be forced into some last-minute deals to strengthen both the first team and Castilla ahead of a potential 18-month transfer hiatus. If the ban is upheld, Madrid will take the matter before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, giving the club a bit of breathing space to add to their squad before the end of the month.
Zinedine Zidane currently has 23 first team players at his disposal and will probably feel that in order to bring in any new signings, others will first have to be shown the door. Rumours will continue to swirl around the futures of James Rodriguez, Isco and Alvaro Morata until the 11th hour of Aug. 31 but there are areas of the squad that will require attention if Real are prevented from making any fresh acquisitions next year.
Needed: Midfielder
"If someone is waiting to do a deal on August 30... no chance, because we don't need to sell," said Rafa Benitez of Moussa Sissoko on Friday after the France international made a plaintive overture to the Bernabeu a day earlier. Zidane missed out on Primary target Paul Pogba and clearly doesn't fancy Mateo Kovacic to deputize for Luka Modric and Toni Kroos this season. He's not another layer of gold paint on the Bentley, granted, but Sissoko is nevertheless a decent enough option to have on the bench for unforeseen emergencies.
Proposed moves for Joao Mario, Andre Gomes, Julian Draxler and Marco Verratti all came to nothing and Sissoko does have the distinct appearance of the last viable option. Yet the player's desperation for a move has not been matched by a response from the Bernabeu.
Needed: Defensive midfielder
Holding midfield is the only position in Zidane's squad for which there is no natural second option. As a result, Real will be eager to find some cover for Casemiro unless they're planning to keep the Brazilian free of injury for the next season and a half. In line with the club's recent policy of acquiring promising youngsters, Borussia Dortmund's Julian Weigl has been mentioned as a possible target. The 20-year-old made the Germany squad for Euro 2016 after an impressive season at the Westfalenstadion, where he made 51 appearances in all competitions.
With Lucas Silva unlikely to force his way back into favour at the Bernabeu -- and currently undergoing tests to determine the extent of a cardiac arrhythmia that saw his loan move to Sporting Lisbon fall through -- this is a priority.
Needed: Striker
One way around the transfer ban for Real is loan deals. Players leaving the club this summer can be brought back at the end of the season and will be clear to play. That may work in Zidane's favour with Marcos Llorente, Borja Mayoral and Jesús Vallejo (among others) gaining experience elsewhere in 2016-17. Martin Odegaard and Mariano Diaz are still awaiting their loan moves.
In the meantime, Santiago Solari's Castilla have been left worryingly light up front for the season ahead. Enter little-known Andrea Favilli. The Livorno striker spent a prolific loan season at Juventus Primavera in 2015-16, hitting 20 goals and chipping in eight assists. One for the future for Real perhaps, but very much one for the now at Castilla.
Needed: Left-back
Fabio Coentrao has returned to the Bernabeu after a loan at Monaco but is out until November and given his injury record, he can hardly be relied on to offer regular back-up for Marcelo. Wolfsburg's Ricardo Rodriguez has been linked with Real for some time but the Bernabeu board perhaps missed a trick by not snapping up Raphael Guerreiro from Lorient after the Portugal international's spectacular Euro 2016.
Real reportedly had a €65 million bid for David Alaba dismissed outright by Bayern Munich -- hardly surprisingly. However, If Zidane can shift the ostracized James, Real could go back with a few more euros to test Bayern's resolve. Signing Alaba would be like adding three players for the price of one: The perennial Austrian Footballer of the Year can also play in the centre of defence and midfield.
A cheaper alternative could be Santos defender Zeca, who's inevitably drawn favourable comparisons to Marcelo given that he is an attacking full-back with speed and poise. A Brazil U23 international, Zeca is currently with the Canarinha at the Rio Olympics.
ESPN FC.
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