It’s a big summer at the Santiago Bernabéu as Real Madrid continue with the process of ushering in a new generation of talented young players.
After missing out on the league title in 2022/23 and a humbling Champions League defeat in Manchester, the pressure is on Carlo Ancelotti’s team to respond well this season.
Publicly, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez has been keen to cool talk of major new signings. However, behind the scenes, things may be very different.
Fresh arrivals and potential departures remain possible with talk of a move for a new striker likely to continue until the transfer window slams shut.
We’ll keep track of everything that goes on at Real Madrid with all the confirmed signings and potential deals as they happen.
The confirmed transfer ins and outs at Real Madrid are as follows.
Real Madrid new signings: Summer 2023 arrivals
Jude Bellingham
Real Madrid have been attempting to construct the next generation of their midfield for a couple of years now, and things stepped up a notch this summer with the €103m purchase of Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund. The 20-year-old is widely considered to be one of the best young players in world football, having already established himself in the English national team, while his three-year stay in the Bundesliga was very impressive.
Fran Garcia
After three years across the Spanish capital at Rayo Vallecano, left-back Fran Garcia returns to Real Madrid where he progressed through the club’s youth ranks. The 23-year-old has won high praise for his energetic performances on the left flank for Rayo and will be hoping to push for a starting role next season.
Joselu
Another player returning to Real Madrid is Joselu. After failing to make the grade as a young player at the Bernabéu, the striker’s path back to Madrid has been quite a journey, from an underwhelming time in England with Stoke City and Newcastle United to relegations in successive La Liga seasons with Alavés and Espanyol. The 33-year-old has improved with age, though, debuting for the Spanish national team with two goals in two minutes against Norway in March.
Arda Guler
The transfer battle between Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid over Turkish wonderkid Guler in the summer of 2023 has been fierce. However, the 18-year-old up-and-coming player chose the white over the blue-and-red.
Fenerbahce receives a whopping €30m for their player. The contract includes an initial €20m payment plus performance-related add-ons. It’s all up to Arda to prove he has a place at Santiago Bernabeu, but he can rest easy knowing that Carlo Ancelotti will give him the chance he deserves. After all, Tony Kroos and Luka Modric aren’t getting any younger.
According to rumors, Fenerbahce negotiated a staggering 20% sell-on clause, which might come in handy once Arda reaches a world-class level. He signed a six-year deal with Los Blancos, so it’s fair to say Arda Guler is one for the future.
Kepa Arrizabalaga
With the injury to starting keeper Thibaut Courtois, who is set for a long period out due to a ruptured ACL. Madrid needed a keeper, and want-away Chelsea man Kepa was who they turned to. For a while, it looked like former Man U man David De Gea would be the ideal pick, considering Madrid have tried to sign him multiple times already. But, it was Kepa that fit the bill.
Ever since Mendy joined the club, Kepa hasn't been a popular pick at Chelsea. Now, a new manager has joined, and he's added another keeper in Sánchez, who pushes Kepa even further down the order. Making 167 appearances for Chelsea since his £71m move, Kepa hasn't exactly found success since joining the London club.
Real Madrid's transfer departures
Karim Benzema – Al-Ittihad
Current Ballon d'Or holder Karim Benzema announced his intention to leave Los Blancos in the hours before the final game of the 2022/23 season. He’s off to Saudi Arabia to play for Al-Ittihad and leaves a Real Madrid legend, having won five UEFA Champions League titles. Replacing Benzema will be no easy task, and his exit may force Ancelotti into a tactical rethink for the 2023/24 campaign.
Eden Hazard – Released
Real Madrid smashed their club transfer record to sign Eden Hazard from Chelsea in 2019 but the Beglian’s stay in Spain has been nothing short of a disaster. He struggled with a lack of form and persistent injuries from the outset and clocked up just 194 minutes in La Liga last term. The 32-year-old has been released from his contract a year early.
Marco Asensio – Released
Marco Asensio is another man leaving Real Madrid this summer. Despite contract negotiations to extend his stay, the 27-year-old has decided to opt for a new challenge, having struggled to hold down a regular place in the starting XI in recent years. He looks set to be a PSG player next season, although the signing has not yet been made official.
Mariano Díaz – Released
Also heading out of the Bernabéu exit door is striker Mariano Díaz. Never more than a fringe player, Mariano managed just six league goals across the last five seasons in Madrid. He failed to net last term, making just one start in La Liga and will be available on a free transfer this summer.
Antonio Blanco – Deportivo Alaves
After six years with the Real Madrid youth teams, Antonio Blanco received a chance in the B team back in 2019. During his four-year spell, he made 69 official appearances for the reserve team, during which he scored twice.
Carlo Ancelotti gave him a couple of chances with the A side, but after five official games, it was clear Antonio Blanco’s talents aren’t Real Madrid-level. That’s why Antonio Blanco and Real Madrid parted ways after Deportivo Alaves offer a humble €4.0m for his services.
Antonio penned a four-year deal with Alaves, so he’ll have plenty of opportunities to prove coach Ancelotti wrong.
Alvaro Odriozola – Real Sociedad
The 27-year-old defender joined Madrid in 2018 in a £30m deal, but has never found a way to settle into the first team. He's spent most of his time away on loan with Bayern Munich and Fiorentina. He'll now return to his boyhood club Real Sociedad as he looks to get his career back on track.
Jesus Vallejo – Granada (Loan)
Having failed to make his mark on the squad, Jesus Vallejo will look to spend another season out on loan. Joining back in 2015, Vallejo has been deemed surplus to requirements by Madrid. He'll spend the season on loan with Granada, with permanent moves away from Madrid not forthcoming.
Rafa marin – Alaves (Loan)
Marin has put pen to paper on a new deal at Madrid. However, he'll be shipped out on loan to Deportivo Alaves for the season. Still, with a bright future ahead of him at Madrid, the plan is to let him play first-team football in a competitive league rather than playing for Real Madrid Castilla. If all goes well, he'll return to Madrid next season and look to force his way into the squad.
