Fresh from winning the Champions League again, Real Madrid have gone big in the transfer market with what is surely their biggest signing since the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009.
Kylian Mbappe leads a short list of Real Madrid new signings in the summer 2024 window.
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Real Madrid confirmed signings summer 2024
Kylian Mbappe PSG Free Endrick Palmeiras €47.5m
The deal that took Mbappe to Real Madrid was effectively a free transfer, but it did involve an eye-watering signing-on fee in the region of €150m, which will be paid to the Frenchman over the course of a five-year deal.
Mbappe’s arrival should bring the kind of goal threat that Real Madrid has been lacking in recent years, with midfielder Jude Bellingham top-scoring last term for Los Blancos with just 19 in La Liga.
By contrast, Mbappe managed 27 or more in each of his final four seasons in Ligue 1 and Los Blancos will be expecting their new striker to post those kinds of figures with the hope being he can push towards 40 goals in all competitions.
The signing of arguably the best player in the world does raise questions about the team's balance, though. Real Madrid were almost flawless last season, losing just twice in all competitions, and Carlo Ancelotti will need to tweak the positions of Bellingham and Vinicius Junior to accommodate the 25-year-old.
The early signs for the Mbappe era at Real Madrid were relatively positive. Despite the absence of a real pre-season for many of their stars, everything seemed to click quite nicely in the UEFA Super Cup as Los Blancos defeated Atalanta 2-0. Mbappe even grabbed a debut goal and Carlo Ancelotti would have been happy with a lot of what he saw particularly after the break.
However, it hasn't been so simple in their opening league games. Dropped points against Mallorca and Las Palmas with Mbappe failing to score in his opening three outings in La Liga, have added to the fears that the balance of this Real Madrid attack would be disrupted by the arrival of a genuine superstar.
When everyone is up to speed and fully fit, they are likely to be a terrifying team to defend against, particularly when they look to strike on the break with so much pace in attack. Breaking defensive teams down may be more of a challenge though, particularly with Toni Kroos no longer around.
Real Madrid transfer window rating so far: B
As Spanish and European champions, Real Madrid approached this window from a position of strength and having finally sealed a deal for Mbappe after years of rumours and negotiations, this surely has to go down as a good window for Los Blancos. It's one that in theory only strengthens their position as the dominant force in Spanish football.
The retirement of Kroos and departures of Nacho and Joselu does leave one or two holes in Ancelotti’s squad though, with the continuation of a generational shift taking place at the Santiago Bernabeu this summer.
Despite many reported targets, Los Blancos opted against adding another defender. That is a risky strategy, when you consider that David Alaba is yet to return from an ACL injury. They've also let Rafa Marin leave, so there isn't much cover for Antonio Rudiger and Eder Militao and they are only really an injury away from having a serious problem in central defence.
Aside from Mbappe, Real Madrid's only other new signing is 18-year-old forward Endrick, who made headlines for all the wrong reasons this summer after he only completed one pass in 90 minutes as Brazil crashed out of Copa America against Uruguay.
Unquestionably though, Endrick is a talent, and the 18-year-old will add to the incredible range of attacking options that Ancelotti will have at his disposal this term.
Unlike Mbappe, he is already off the mark in La Liga, coming off the bench to score late in the 3-0 home win over Real Valladolid. The early signs are that he'll have to be content with a back-up role though.
Real Madrid confirmed departures summer 2024 – Full list
- Rafa Marin (Napoli)
- Joselu (Al-Gharafa SC)
- Nacho (Al-Qadsiah)
- Juanmi Latasa (Real Valladolid)
- Reinier (Granada – Loan)
- Alvaro Rodriguez (Getafe – Loan)
- Toni Kroos (Retired)
