Real Madrid: Rating All of Los Blancos' 2019 Summer Signings
Seemingly struggling to cope with the sale of superstar Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus, Real Madrid has a pretty woeful 2018/19 La Liga campaign.
Given their dominance in recent years, it came as a shock to see them end the season trophyless, finishing third in the league as well as being eliminated at the semi-final stage of the Copa del Rey and the round of 16 in the Champions League.
But with the vastly successful Zinedine Zidane back at the helm, it's hardly been surprising to see Los Blancos splash the cash this summer, even by their own standards.
And with the European transfer window now closed, now is the ideal time to rate the signings which make up what has been a very busy summer in the Spanish capital.
Defenders
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Alphonse Areola - The French goalkeeper was signed on loan from Paris Saint-Germain on deadline day, while Costa Rican stopper Keylor Navas went in the opposite direction. Areola is unlikely to start over first choice Thibaut Courtouis, but he will provide excellent cover if the Belgian were to suffer an injury. 6/10
Eder Militao - Playing predominantly as a centre back, game time will undoubtedly be hard to come by with Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane to compete against, but Militao is a very promising prospect. With his versatility, as well as Ramos getting ever older, he could become a real asset sooner than some think. 7/10
Ferland Mendy - While others have come and gone, Marcelo has been a long-term servant at the club, but has become prone to the odd mistake, particularly defensively. Mendy is one of the most promising full backs in world football and with 90 La Liga minutes already under his belt, he looks set to replace the Brazilian this season, and in years to come. 8/10
Midfielders
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Alberto Soro - This is one of the lesser known names Madrid have signed during the summer, purchasing the attacking midfielder for €2.5m. He isn't someone who will walk straight into the starting lineup, remaining online at Real Zaragoza for the duration of the 2019/20 campaign, but his minor fee means Los Blancos can't really lose in regards to this signing. 5/10
Takefusa Kubo - Like Soro, Kubo won't go straight into the Madrid starting lineup, having been loaned out to RCD Mallorca, but he's already making a name for himself nonetheless. The fact that he was signed for free and was once an academy prospect of fierce rivals Barcelona will only make the signing of this extremely talented 18-year-old all the more sweet. 8/10
Attackers
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Rodrygo - Like a number of others, Rodrygo's early life in Madrid has been hindered by injury, something which will only make an already very tough task of securing a place in the starting lineup even more difficult.
A fee of €54m wouldn't suggest he's going to be sitting on the bench, but with the likes of Eden Hazard to compete with, it's hard to expect much more in the near future. 6/10
Eden Hazard - Like Rodrygo, Hazard hasn't made much of an impact in the early stages of his Real Madrid career, arriving at the club significantly overweight and then suffering a thigh injury.
However, it's surely only a matter of time before the former Chelsea star truly settles into his new surroundings and shows what we've grown used to seeing from him, capable of becoming the hero Madrid have so desperately needed since CR7's departure. 9/10
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Luka Jovic - Somewhat unbelievably, Jovic was linked with a move away from the Bernabeu just months after signing for Los Blancos. He's had a slow beginning, starting just one of Madrid's three games so far, with Zidane reportedly not convinced by the Serbian.
Despite still being just 21 years old, he's only enjoyed a single successful campaign playing alongside West Ham United striker Sebastian Haller for Eintracht Frankfurt, suggesting the £54m spent on Jovic could prove to be a risk taken far too soon. 6/10
Overall
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Some of the names on this list would suggest Real Madrid have had an unbelievable summer of transfer business, signing both already world class and upcoming talents like Eden Hazard and Luka Jovic.
But having signed the likes of Jovic, Eder Militao and Rodrygo for a combined total of around £140m, they've spent a huge amount of money on players who look like they could struggle to make an immediate impact.
But only time will tell. The 2019/20 campaign is still in it's very early stages, with a number of key new signings yet to return to full fitness and prove exactly what they're capable of in the white of Real Madrid.
Overall Rating - 7/10
