Should Real Madrid change their January transfer market strategy?
Real Madrid often sit quietly during the January transfer window. Things have not changed this time around either as Los Blancos didn't even make a single signing last month. This could hurt the rest of their season and Carlo Ancelotti cannot be criticized for this. Florentino Perez is the one to blame here as he hasn't added any new names to the club.
The injury crisis at Real Madrid
Real Madrid are currently going through an injury crisis. Nacho Fernandez has been covering up for Dani Carvajal in the right-back position. Lucas Vazquez, the second-choice right-back, was also out of the team for several games due to an injury. Although Nacho is a versatile player and can cover for any player in the back four, he is not a big threat going forward.
The lack of squad depth is clear as Carlo Ancelotti has had to use Eduardo Camavinga, a midfielder, in the left-back position for two consecutive games. Ferland Mendy, the team's only left-back, was injured in the first half against Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey quarter-final.
Toni Kroos suffered from gastroenteritis and was not included in the initial squad to face Liverpool in the Champions League Round of 16 clash at Anfield, but was added at the last moment. Aurelien Tchouameni, who is suffering from the flu, was also left out.
January signings have failed to make an impact
Los Vikingos have seen a lot of January signings fail to make an impact. Many players such as Antonio Cassano, Julien Faubert, and Thomas Gravesen proved to be colossal flops. Although there have been some decent January signings too, like Marcelo and Gonzalo Higuain, the bad ones outweigh the good.
Brahim Diaz (€19 million) was the last first-team signing made by Real Madrid in a January transfer window. Perez is mainly focused on the summer transfer window to make big signings but has to think about the club's current dire situation. Real Madrid have a lot of tough fixtures over a short period of time.
It's obvious that the Merengues want to sign Jude Bellingham in the upcoming transfer window and they are saving money. Perez, however, will face serious competition from the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City.
Poor form in La Liga
Although Real Madrid are still in the race for the UEFA Champions League and Copa del Rey titles, they have fallen behind a well-organized Barcelona team in La Liga. They are eight points behind the league leaders due to a string of poor performances in the league. They have won their last two matches but will have to do much more than that to overcome their rivals. It seems like Barca are not in the mood to drop points at the moment.
Los Blancos will have to get back to their best as soon as possible if they want to defend their league title. Otherwise, there is a strong possibility that their arch-rivals will take the title home. The Whites have only managed 10 points from their last five encounters, which is way below their standards.
Carlo Ancelotti might have to look for reinforcements in the B team. The likes of Sergio Arribas and Mario Martin could cover up for the injured players for the rest of the season. Tough times await an injury-struck Real Madrid team.