Real Madrid have the opportunity to shore up their depleted backline in the January transfer window.
In recent years, Real Madrid have not made many moves in the winter transfer window. Los Blancos typically remain committed to the players they have despite injuries or underwhelming performances. Yet this season is unlike any other for Carlo Ancelotti's side. With an injury-ravaged defense, the Spanish giants might finally be compelled to welcome some new faces in January to strengthen their La Liga and Champions League title defenses.
Although plenty of non-defenders, including Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior, have gotten injured this season, Real Madrid still have decent depth in the midfield and the attack, leaving the defense as the glaring problem to target in the next month.
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What Real Madrid Need in the January Transfer Window
1. A Center Back
Real Madrid are in desperate need of center backs. Éder Militão tore his ACL for the second time in as many seasons and will not return this year. Dani Carvajal, Real Madrid's emergency center back, is also out for the season with an ACL injury.
Plus, David Alaba, who is still recovering from his own ACL injury from last season, is still not available to play for the foreseeable future. Therefore, Real Madrid are left with a gaping hole next to Antonio Rüdiger.
Ancelotti has deployed 21-year-old Real Madrid Castilla defender Raúl Asencio and even natural midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni in the defense, but both players are not long-term solutions for Los Blancos' backline.
2. A Right Back
With Carvajal out for the season, Real Madrid have had to make Lucas Vázquez their starting right back. While no player could truly fill Carvajal's role, Vázquez has often failed to even deliver standard performances on the right flank. The Spaniard is simply a defensive liability in big matches.
Plus, Real Madrid do not even have a backup for Vázquez should he get injured. Fede Valverde, a natural midfielder, had to fill in for the 33-year-old while Vázquez was sidelined in November.
The club has been linked with Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is out of contract with the Reds at the end of the season. If that transfer comes to fruition, it would not be completed until the summer, leaving Real Madrid in need of a short-term solution to their right back problem.
3. A Left Back
Left back i are not a glaring issue at the moment for Real Madrid, but the position is one of the weakest in Ancelotti's lineup. Ferland Mendy has underwhelmed this season, delivering inconsistent performances that left the door open for Fran García to prove his worth on the left flank. Although the 25-year-old is better than Mendy in the attack, he is often outclassed in his own half against superior players.
It is no secret Real Madrid have had their sights set on Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies, but that transfer would also have to wait until the summer, if it happens at all. In the meantime, Mendy and García must improve their game if Real Madrid opts to finish the season without acquiring a new left back.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Who Real Madrid Need in the January Transfer Window.
