With just over three weeks to wait until the 2024/25 La Liga campaign Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti is working hard to get his players ready and to get some new bodies in.
After winning the 2023/2024 league title and the Champions League the pressure is on to stay at the top in Spain and in Europe. The SBOTOP La Liga 2024 betting odds say Los Blancos will take some beating, though both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid will be determined to dethrone the champions.
In Europe, Real Madrid squeezed past Manchester City, putting in a rearguard action to show they can play equally effectively on the back foot if needed. The Sky Blues will not have been amused by that and will be determined to exact revenge. Usually it is in attack where Los Blancos like to dominate and their early signings will help Ancelottti’s team do just that.
The big La Liga 2024 news of the summer was the arrival of Kylian Mbappe, as Real Madrid finally got their man, who they really thought they would sign 12 months ago. But better late than never and the France captain has realised a lifelong dream to put on the famous white Number Nine jersey at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. 80,000 fans turned up to greet their new hero and the prospect of him lining up alongside Vinicius Junior or Rodrygo, with Jude Bellingham in behind is a mouth-watering prospect; though probably not in Catalonia!
And the other big signing of the summer sees the arrival of Endrick from Brazil side Palmeiras for a fee of around 60m Euros. The deal was set up in 2022 to coincide with the exciting young striker turning 18 and now he is a Real Madrid player. He’s scored 18 goals in 66 appearances for Palmeiras and three in ten for the full Brazil side, so Endrick is another Selecao addition to Los Blancos’ glittering attacking unit.
The departure of the retired Toni Kroos has given Ancelotti a question to solve but he may have seen the answer at Euro 24 in the form of Turkish star Arda Guler. The 19 year old attacking midfielder scored a brilliant goal as Turkey beat Georgia 3-1 in their opener and that set the tone for a great tournament for both Guler and his team. Nicknamed the Turkish Messi, which may not be popular in Madrid of course, Guler became the third teenager to score on his first Euros appearance and the youngest player to score on his European Championship debut.
Having joined Real Madrid from Fenerbahce he struggled for fitness initially, but Guler finished the 2023/24 season in spectacular form, with five goals from his last five league games and his Euro 2024 exploits might just convince Ancelotti that he can slot into the gap left by the legendary Kroos…and they are big boots to fill.
Real Madrid’s early fixture list has thrown up some games against middle and lower ranked sides and Los Blancos will expect to make a fast start in their title defence. It will be fascinating to see how Mbappe settles; and where Endrick and Guler fit in.
Case for the defence
While the attacking group at Madrid is well stocked Ancelotti is working hard to strengthen his defensive unit which is equally important in such a busy campaign. He needs to be aware of any financial constraints the club puts on him, but the head coach wants to bring a top class centre back into the fold. Two names have been mentioned, Aymeric Laporte, now at Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, and Arsenal’s French defender William Saliba. Laporte had five successful seasons at Manchester City before heading to Saudi last summer, and he showed in his performances for Spain at Euro 2024 that he can still operate at the very highest level.
Saliba was Les Bleus best player in Germany; though he didn’t have much competition, and he is now one of the highest rated centre backs in world football, starring for the Gunners who came so close to winning the 2023/24 Premier League. But Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will be keen to keep hold of the jewel in his defence and it will take a lot of money, around £80m, to tempt him into negotiations.
Ancelotti also needs a left back and he has been tracking FC Bayern star Alphonso Davies since the turn of the year. Los Blancos may have another Mbappe type situation here, as the Bavarians have said Davies will see out the final year of his contract in Munich, so the Real Madrid boss may have to look elsewhere.
Lastly, there may be a new goalkeeper on the way in; with Thibaut Courtois returning to fitness the 25 year old Andriy Lunin, who stepped in for much of last season, may be nearing an exit with just one year left on his contract.
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