Rebuilding Madrid, One Pass at a Time - The Transfers, Rumors & Lies Thread

Who is the right coach for RM?

As things currently stand, there isn't one.

It's a crapshoot similar to the Queiroz-Mourinho era.

Simply put, the club suffers from a complete lack of vision. We don't know (or the authority factions are in disagreement about) what style or "philosophy" of to adopt, what type of "project" it is, if at all, what type of players they need and as such the right profile of the manager.

What makes the issue even more complex is that these players don't want to work. They want to bum it out, enjoy all the privileges of being football royalty while training lightly and demanding total immunity from criticism, whistles and consequence. Worst of all, Perez has willingly catered to these whims and more
–all because Junior leaving on a free is his living nightmare.

The club is currently run by has-been brats.

We were told it was Xabi's fault. But the issues were carried over from the Ancelotti era. They persist with Arbeloa even with all the ass wiping and head bobbing. That's 3 coaches. Same shit. Hmmm I wonder what/who could be the core issue here?

We will disagree on Xabi being the right/wrong hire or a good/bad coach and there is no way to come to definitive answer because he didn't get the adequate time nor the requisite conditions for any coach to succeed. Again, partially because the club is conflicted on what it wants.

In my mind, and I've said this before, Xabi fvcked up the day he decided to concede to the players and let go of his convictions and methods to appease them (which was never going to happen). He was fired the moment he subbed out Junior and the club refused to back the coach or punish the player. Xabi should have died on his sword.

 

🗣️ Eden Hazard: “My kids are crazy about Kenan Yıldız, they hope to see him in the Premier League.

But for me, he’s a Real Madrid type player.” @Gazzetta_it pic.twitter.com/MV2b2k2IrL

— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) February 5, 2026

 

Great, another AM.

 

JUST IN: Juni Calafat & his scouting team are closely watching Nico Schlotterbeck & Castello Lukeba.

🚨 JUST IN: Juni Calafat & his scouting team are closely watching Nico Schlotterbeck & Castello Lukeba. @Rodra10_97 pic.twitter.com/wreMDhGkgU

— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) February 4, 2026

Didn't Nico tore his ACL ?

 

It was a meniscus injury and he's been back playing for months now.

 

I think it was a serious injury but he's been fit for some time.

Either way ACL and meniscus injuries are prerequisites for our CBs lol

 

If Floppy still has COJONES he'll splash the cash and bring Pablo Barrios to Santiago Bernabeu.

 

🚨 BREAKING: Konate is BACK as an option.

Real Madrid have recently contacted him to ask about his situation again. @MatteMoretto, @RadioMARCA pic.twitter.com/Hl2Lzfpi33

— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) February 6, 2026

Ramon:

At the time, I mentioned to you that they never officially closed the Konate matter for me. Madrid already did something similar in the past with Rudiger: he was "ruled out" in January and signed in April. We'll see what happens with Konate.

En su momento os comenté que nunca me dieron por rematado el asunto Konate. Ya el Madrid en el pasado hizo algo parecido con Rudiger: se “descartó” en enero y se fichó en abril. Veremos qué ocurre con Konate. https://t.co/sVju885Y3S

— Ramón Álvarez de Mon (@Ramon_AlvarezMM) February 6, 2026

 

Looks like the fetish for injury prone players are still there.

 

It's not just about this bum's injury profile but he's extremely error prone and severely limited without support/backup from an ageing VVD.

We're only going for him because he's free. Truly disastrous planning from the club.

 

Also, count me as a huge Kees Smit sceptic.

Assuming he is indeed a tempo regulator/engine-type midfielder (which I am reading otherwise), it is very difficult for me to see how this 20 year old from the Dutch league could be our "savior" in the midfield and hit the ground running at RM.

But before that he's supposed to usurp Fede/Bellingham/Guler from the starting XI peacefully? Right.

I don't buy any of this. The kid has talent but this is way above his current capabilities tier and age bracket.

We heard so much propaganda about Mastantuono, and I have no doubt that he'll become a great player in 3-5 years, but right now he can't even control or balance the goddamn ball..

Either we get an established midfielder or GTFO..none of this talent breeding or "let's try to convert him to a Kroos" BS.

 

Snap up Fabian Ruiz or Aleix Garcia.

 

Season average

 

Rodrigo Mendoza is another one the club missed out on because Juni Calafat and his superiors only want the next hot thing from abroad.

 

I hear you. I think he'd be good as part of several midfield signings. If we're signing just one CM, then it's definitely not the right move.
But if we're going for 2 or 3, could be an interesting option.

2 or 3 is what I'm hoping, forced upon us due to multiple departures: Ceballos, Camavinga, Brahim...Tchou?

 

A CB pairing of Konate and Huijsen would be "fun" to watch next season...

 

CB pairing? I doubt they'd be one, as one of them will be feeling discomforts every week and the other will be injured.

 

They'd start either way, when has discomforts and injuries prevented players starting.

 

Like now?

 

I agree with @boeder I've had enough with the stupid young FOMO signings. There is no way this club is so financially restricted that we can't sign serious top players. Florentino's done a great job with financial security of the club, and I know the stadium renovation loan is constraining our ambitions in the market somewhat, but it's time to sign a couple of statement players, no more of this ridiculous venture capitalist approach to transfers. We've tried that way too often lately. Now it's time to sign a big name established CM and CB. Everything else can take a backseat.

I think it's also high time to start thinking about restructuring our wage bill. For the love of God, please rework the "free" signings execution. These "free" signings only put a heavy load on our salary structure, and with the state of the sport in this day and age, the sheer amount of games, and the consequent massive number of injuries - having massive salaries for constantly injured players is absolutely infuriating and suffocates us. If these guys (usually with long contracts) break physically we are STUCK with them. They will never leave, as David Alaba's of this world know full well they will never in a million years get a €450,000 a week anywhere else at this point in their career. At least Eden Burgerman had the never before seen self-awareness and agreed to cancel the remaining year of his contract and yield his salary.

And one last thing, we need to add support players that can fill the cracks. Ideally 2-3 years contract max. Have them on a rotation, no long commitments. And if not as signings, then as loans. We need mid players that are not going to be stars but fill the niche we're missing. Not every player has to sell shirts. I mean, Joselu, god bless him, he wasn't the most clinical player, but he showed up for us when needed. Never complained, came in to serve his loan and gave us the CL final with this two goals in the semis.

 

Yeah we're not buying 2+ CBs.

IMO it's going to be 1x signing (most likely a Bosman), Militao is a "new signing", renew Rudiger or promote a Castilla e.g. Joan Martinez.

 

"Free" with these Bosman transfers is a fallacy.

There isn't a transfer fee involved but the player gets a high salary and a signing bonus. This is why Alaba is the 2nd highest paid player on the team just behind Kylian Mbappe.

Konaté is an average CB at best with an awful injury track record. He's will earn big euros at the club, so he's not free. He is, however, a lazy signing. It is the administration clearing itself of culpability and saying "we signed a CB, now STFU".

 

Of course they aren't "free", the point is that they are a better value. Perez is obviously highly knowledgeable about finances and there's a reason he has gone for them despite higher wages. Kylian has still been amazing value considering what he would have gone for on the transfer market (he surely still would have been the second-highest paid player on the team even if we had bought him -- see CR7's wages). Time has caught up with Rudiger, but overall he was still a good value signing, integral to the team when he was healthy, which he was for a decent amount of time. Time will tell with Trent, he was only signed a half season ago.