Real Madrid’s Transfer Dilemma: Ancelotti’s Meeting with CEO Amidst Defensive Woes

Real Madrid’s Transfer Dilemma: Ancelotti’s Meeting with CEO Amidst Defensive Woes

In the bustling football city of Madrid, the air is thick with anticipation and speculation. Real Madrid’s coach, Carlo Ancelotti, found himself in a pivotal meeting with the club’s CEO, José Ángel Sanchez, on a seemingly routine Wednesday. The agenda? The state of the team and potential transfer options following their 5-2 Spanish Supercopa loss to their arch-rivals, Barcelona, over the weekend. A source close to the club assured ESPN that this meeting was nothing out of the ordinary, downplaying any notions of a crisis. However, the discussions were centered around the persistent issues that have been haunting Los Blancos since the season’s kickoff.

Since the summer transfer window, Ancelotti and his coaching staff have been vocal about their need for more defensive resources. The club was on the brink of signing Leny Yoro to fill the void left by Nacho‘s departure. However, the young French talent eventually chose Manchester United over Madrid, leaving the Spanish giants without a reinforcement for their back line.

Another name on Madrid’s wishlist was Alphonso Davies. Despite being a priority target, Madrid decided to respect Bayern Munich and refrained from pursuing him aggressively, even as his contract neared its end. The latest whispers from Germany suggest that Davies might renew his contract with Bayern, but Madrid continues to keep a watchful eye on the Canadian’s future.

As the January transfer window looms, Madrid is still on the hunt for a player to replace the injured right-back Dani Carvajal. Their top choice? Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool. However, Liverpool has already rejected an approach from Madrid, making it likely that the Spanish club will wait until the summer to sign him on a free transfer.

Despite these setbacks, sources indicate that Ancelotti and his team have not given up on making January signings. They are eagerly awaiting the club board’s decision to bolster the backline before the month’s end. If reinforcements don’t arrive, Madrid might have to rely on internal solutions like boosting Raúl Asencio‘s role or deploying Lucas Vázquez or even Fede Valverde as right-back, depending on their opponents.

Another potential solution lies with defender David Alaba, who has returned to the squad after a year-long knee injury. The Austrian international is back in training but isn’t expected to play competitively until later in January. The coaching staff is understandably cautious, as it may take Alaba some time to regain his form. Meanwhile, Jesús Vallejo has seen limited playing time.

The absence of Carvajal and Éder Militão, who suffered a torn ACL in November, has been a significant blow to the team. Concerns are mounting about how Real Madrid will perform in the Champions League. In addition to two consecutive losses to Barcelona, Los Blancos have also faced defeats against AC Milan, Lille, and Liverpool.

In LaLiga, they only managed a draw against Atlético Madrid, who now lead LaLiga at the close of the first half of the season.

Despite these challenges, the source mentioned that the club is hopeful that Ancelotti’s usual calm demeanor will help steer the team back on track. There is a general belief within the club that a LaLiga title is still within reach if performances improve in the second half of the season, regardless of whether the club can secure new signings.

Real Madrid is set to host Celta Vigo in the Copa del Rey round of 16 on Thursday. On Wednesday, Ancelotti stated that there was no need for an overreaction, with Madrid just one point behind LaLiga leaders Atlético Madrid and still in contention in the Champions League and the Copa del Rey.

“I don’t follow the wave of criticism, that one day you are the best and the next you are the dumbest,” he told reporters. “Fortunately, thanks to my experience, I have balance. I don’t think I’m the best but I don’t think I’m the dumbest, either.”