{"id":71941,"date":"2026-08-18T02:09:17","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T02:09:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/71941\/"},"modified":"2026-08-18T02:09:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T02:09:17","slug":"an-assessment-of-real-madrids-2026-summer-transfers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/71941\/","title":{"rendered":"An Assessment Of Real Madrid\u2019s 2026 Summer Transfers"},"content":{"rendered":"

These observations \u2014 where I look at Real Madrid<\/a>\u2019s history, its players on loan, Castilla, tactical tidbits, and other relevant thoughts \u2014 are now a regular thing. All previous editions can be found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a moment to reflect on Real Madrid\u2019s summer transfer window so far. There has been a lot of criticism from media and fans, mostly because Real Madrid spent a club record for a 19 year old, didn\u2019t buy an additional center-back apart from Ibrahima Konat\u00e9(yet), and then missed out on Rodri \u2014 but the club has done good work to strengthen the squad overall if you zoom out.<\/p>\n

The window is not done, yet, but Jose Mourinho (who has an impeccable record of transfers at this club already) came in and bought two wing-backs, a target man, a couple experienced veterans, and a right winger in the ilk of which Real Madrid haven\u2019t seen in years.<\/p>\n

All in the meanwhile, they\u2019ve sold \u20ac200m+ worth of players from the academy alone, which, objectively, is absolutely incredible.<\/p>\n

(Note: if another player is signed before the window closes, they\u2019ll get a separate article. I also didn\u2019t touch on all the departures, namely: Dani Ceballos, Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, and Nico Paz \u2014 all of which have been discussed quite extensively already).<\/p>\n

During Spain\u2019s Euro 2024 run, Marc Cucurella \u2014 one of the revelations of the tournament \u2014 spoke about his symbiosis with Nico Williams as the two formed the best two-way left-wing partnership of the Euros. \u201cHis job\u2019s to attack and mine is to defend,\u201d Cucurella told The Guardian. \u201cWe fit well together. If he feels I\u2019m covering him, then Nico can do great things for our team. When [players like him] are confident they\u2019re decisive. My role is to get the ball and let him play. I\u2019m here for whatever he needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Virtually two years later, Cucurella spoke about his new Real Madrid teammate Vinicius Jr in a similar light, and, although the two haven\u2019t played many minutes together yet, the Spaniard\u2019s words offered Real Madrid fans a glimpse of the kind of sacrificial player he is.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019ll hit it off with him,\u201d he told Marca. \u201cI don\u2019t care if he doesn\u2019t track back, I\u2019ll do all the dirty work he doesn\u2019t want to do. As long as he\u2019s decisive and fresh to score goals, I\u2019ll happily eat up the grunt work. Vinicius has proven he\u2019s a decisive and influential player in Real Madrid\u2019s Champions League campaigns,\u201d said the Spanish defender.\u201c
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Every team needs players like Cucurella, especially this Real Madrid. There are already enough superstars here. You need more fighters \u2014 people to rely on in the heat of battle, those who are comfortable not having the spotlight but comfortable being the unsung hero \u2014 doing all the dirty work behind the scenes in order to elevate the greater cause.<\/p>\n

But labelling Cucurella as a mere fighter is selling him short. He is a top-three left back in the world right now and coming off an incredible World Cup where he was the tournament\u2019s best left back. He is an incredible short range passer and is elite at safeguarding possession. He can tuck into an inverted left-back role at any moment while giving you defensive security and is in the 91st percentile among left-backs when it comes to tackles + interceptions. He rarely leaves the flank exposed, even if he has to handle the flank by himself. Essentially, he is a Jose Mourinho dream \u2014 a tactical balancer.<\/p>\n

Rodrigo Tarin, Cucurella\u2019s former teammate in the Barcelona academy, told The Guardian\u2019s Sid Lowe in 2022 that one of Cucurella\u2019s most redeeming traits is how open he is to coaching feedback.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s his greatest quality,\u201d Tarin said. \u201cHe never takes a criticism personally, never feels attacked. He listens, corrects mistakes, understands.\u201d<\/p>\n

In that same feature, Eibar sporting director Fran Gargarza spoke about his character and tactical flexibility:<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a player with no ego,\u201d Gargarza said. \u201cHe came with the academic concepts from Barcelona but always evolved: at Getafe, for example, he learned that other football, how to manage a game; at Brighton he played at centre-back in a three although his main virtue isn\u2019t in the air; at Chelsea, he\u2019s taking dead balls, which he hadn\u2019t. So will he succeed? Yes, yes, I\u2019m absolutely sure of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"EAST<\/a><\/p>\n

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – JULY 19: Marc Cucurella #24 of Spain celebrates with his family members and the FIFA World Cup Winner\u2019s Trophy after the team\u2019s victory following the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final match between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Hector Vivas – FIFA\/FIFA via Getty Images) FIFA via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Cucurella will likely go down as one of the best signings the club has made in recent years. The Managing Madrid Podcast loves going back year-to-year discussing the hits and misses, and I think we\u2019ll look back on this one as a hit. You can never guarantee anything in football, but Cucurella is one of those players with such a high baseline that it\u2019s hard to go wrong. He\u2019s always been the type of footballer who prioritizes the team over himself. Those are the players that help you win league titles (which is a title Real Madrid doesn\u2019t seem to prioritize enough). In Cucurella\u2019s case, he also has a great big game track record in international tournaments too. Mourinho won\u2019t have any issue playing him against the best right wingers in the world.<\/p>\n

Real Madrid were wise to sign him before Spain\u2019s first World Cup game. Had they signed him after the World Cup, there is no doubt Chelsea would\u2019ve jacked up the price as the Spaniard\u2019s value soared after the tournament.<\/p>\n

A side note: It will be interesting to see how Alvaro Carreras responds. Will he elevate his own game? He\u2019ll have to impress as the team\u2019s back-up.<\/p>\n

Another tremendous signing that should be attributed to Jose Mourinho. We know Mourinho likes to go two-deep in each position, and Madridistas should be over the moon to have Denzel Dumfries, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Marc Cucurella, and Alvaro Carreras (and Ferland Mendy \u2014 the most hypothetical player of all time \u2014 somewhere there in existence).<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a far cry from 2024 – 2025, where poor Carlo Ancelotti had to rely mostly on Lucas Vazquez and Fran Garcia.<\/p>\n

Wing-back depth is vital. All of Real Madrid\u2019s most successful periods in the modern era boasted elite wing-backs, and in several cases multiple bodies. Think of Jose Mourinho himself, and how he used both Fabio Coentrao and Marcelo strategically based on the opponent.<\/p>\n

Nothing is set in stone, but I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if Mourinho looked at Dumfries and Trent the same way: Dumfries is a better overall defender than Trent, though clearly inferior in other aspects like long range passing and escaping tight spaces.<\/p>\n

But Dumfries has a solid tool bag. As we saw in the World Cup, he can whip in mean, first-touch, dangerous balls into the box. He is an aerial threat and physically imposing \u2014 fantastic at tracking far post runners and making sure he wins that diagonal cross.<\/p>\n

Dumfries can also crash the box and meet crosses that come in from the left side. He is in the 95th percentile among wing-backs when it comes to touches in the box. Will Mourinho ask him to hedge back in deeper positions the way he did with Coentrao (a more than capable attacker in his own right)? Dumfries ranks lower in tackles and interceptions, but that\u2019s in part because he\u2019s usually higher up the field. As always, I have more questions than answers, but fascinated to see the answers.<\/p>\n

\"MADRID,<\/a><\/p>\n

MADRID, SPAIN – JULY 28: Denzel Dumfries player of Real Madrid trains at Ciudad Real Madrid on July 28, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Victor Carretero\/Real Madrid)<\/p>\n

Finally, the Joselu of the new era has arrived. Carlos Espi is extremely specialized \u2014 he lives in the box and hunts crosses and cut-backs. His entire purpose is to manouever between the lines without the ball, and move into the box undetected. Espi is an expert at sneaking into the defender\u2019s blind spot, and he\u2019s hard to track.<\/p>\n

Espi is in the 96th percentile when it comes to touches in the box. Don\u2019t expect him to do much outside of it. But Real Madrid don\u2019t need him be in any zone other than the zone that allows him to finish chances. Real Madrid already have enough creators who operate outside the box \u2014 they need a specialist; a finisher. Espi is that.<\/p>\n

The Espi signing came out of nowhere. Once the rumours started, Real Madrid officially announced him within hours. By the next day, he was already in training, and within two days, he was playing a pre-season game against Fiorentina. This is Jose Mourinho at his best: Getting to work, identifying squad holes early, and getting Real Madrid to execute deals they otherwise wouldn\u2019t have.<\/p>\n

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Espi, listed at 6\u2019 4\u201d, is a behemoth and clear aerial threat. At just 21, he has room to grow, and is already making strides as a finisher. Two seasons ago, he scored six goals in 37 games. Last season, he scored 13 goals in 27 games. His current conversion rate puts him in the 80th percentile among finishers. I haven\u2019t seen it discussed much, but Espi is a very reliable presser \u2014 and you know Mourinho will value defensive work ethic even if he himself, as a coach, isn\u2019t hell bent on implementing an aggressive pressing scheme.<\/p>\n

I always said that the best type of person to fill the Joselu role is an experienced vet who doesn\u2019t care so much about playing time \u2014 someone who is ok with being Kylian Mbappe\u2019s back-up and just happy to be on the Real Madrid train while helping the team win trophies in a more minimal, yet specialized role.<\/p>\n

This is a bet on a younger player, which is fine too. Gonzalo Garcia needed to develop and play more (more on him later). Espi is not going to come in an demand anything this season, and will be hungry to earn minutes. It will be interesting to see how Mourinho juggles subbing him in. Will it be for Mbappe? Doubt it. One of the wingers?<\/p>\n

Real Madrid had four left backs on the books at one point this summer: Marc Cucurella, Fran Garcia, Alvaro Carreras, Ferland Mendy. Someone had to leave. Carreras has only been here one season \u2014 there\u2019s no way the club would\u2019ve given up on him so soon. Mendy\u2019s contract is difficult to move because of his age and injuries \u2014 though they still have to try and move him this summer if they can. Fran Garcia was always going to the most realistic departure of the four.<\/p>\n

Maybe harsh, but football isn\u2019t always about what\u2019s fair. You could argue Fran was the best left back the team had last season.<\/p>\n

It was a low bar. Carreras had a good first couple months, and then fell off a cliff in the second half of the season. Mendy actually was solid when he played, but he played what seemed like one half per six months. Fran started to grow into the team with Carreras having both on and off field issues. Even then, Fran\u2019s usage was minimal when he played as most of the game flowed through Vinicius, though, Fran, even though the sample size was small, won 81.8% of his duels and his passing accuracy hovered around the 90% mark.<\/p>\n

It will be interesting to see him back at a different La Liga club. With Rayo Vallecano, he was much more of a fulcrum in attack. I suspect Manuel Pellegrini will get Fran in much more attacking zones more often. At Real Madrid, he had to be more conservative, but I\u2019m really excited to see him back at a different team. Pellegrini likes his wingers to cut inside, creating room for overloads from full-backs. Fran is an aggressive two-way wing-back by nature \u2014 something we really only saw him be at Rayo.<\/p>\n

As is the case with many talented players in Spain, they are not destined for Real Madrid, but they are destined for a really good career elsewhere. Players like Asier Illaramendi, Sergio Canales, Dani Parejo come to mind. There are many more.<\/p>\n

Real Madrid sold low when they could\u2019ve gotten more. People have criticized the action of selling Fran for just \u20ac4 million. That\u2019s fair \u2014 a Premier League club would\u2019ve dished out much more. Some of it comes down to Real Madrid honouring Fran\u2019s wish but also maintaining a good relationship with Real Betis. There is also the non-emotional side of this: Real Madrid retain 50% of his rights, something that would\u2019ve been difficult to do had he gone to England. Real Madrid essentially co-own the Spanish left-back while allowing Betis to take on the onus of \u2018developing\u2019 him. It would be very surprising if, in a few years, his value wasn\u2019t boosted significantly and both Real Madrid and Real Betis cash in on a future Premier League sale.<\/p>\n

Fran had to leave. At Managing Madrid, we will root for any academy products to succeed at other clubs. Certainly it\u2019s to Real Madrid\u2019s best interest if he goes on and gets better.<\/p>\n

It was always going to be hard to keep Gonzalo Garcia in this Real Madrid squad. These are his formative years. He is a stud. Playing time is vital for his development.<\/p>\n

Quite frankly, it\u2019s going to be hard for any striker in the Kylian Mbappe era to break through. For this reason, I\u2019m also not convinced Endrick will stay \u2014 he wants to play down the middle, per source, and not on the right wing. That doesn\u2019t leave much wiggle room.<\/p>\n

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With that context in mind, it\u2019s clear that filling an Mbappe back-up role is difficult to do. Good players will have to leave.<\/p>\n

If Gonzalo had to leave, it\u2019s hard to think of a better scenario than the one that Real Madrid found. Through some sequence of fortune, Alvaro Arbeloa went to Fulham and brought with him Gonzalo (who is represented by the same agent, Oscar Ribot) for a very good chunk of money.<\/p>\n

Gonzalo becomes the fourth most expensive Real Madrid academy sale ever, behind Alvaro Morata, Nico Paz, and Achraf Hakimi. What differentiates Gonzalo from the others is that he\u2019s the only one of the four not to have gone to another team and established himself. Gonzalo was sold virtually straight from the academy. That is incredible business. Even if you wanted Gonzalo to stay (and no one loves him more than this author, apart from maybe his mom), Real Madrid are big winners of this deal. They not only received \u20ac40m for him, but they also retained 30% of his rights and a first right of refusal. To put it in simple terms, if another club wanted to sign Gonzalo for \u20ac100m in the future, Fulham would notify Real Madrid, who would have the opportunity to match for just \u20ac70m. If Real Madrid decline, Fulham would sell to the next club and Real Madrid would receive \u20ac30m.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no other universe where you can get a better deal for an academy player who is second or third choice (including Endrick) as Mbappe\u2019s back-up.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m excited to track Gonzalo\u2019s development. I think he\u2019ll have to improve his transition attacking, but there isn\u2019t much to dispute when it comes to his football intelligence, off-ball instinct, finishing, and hold up play.<\/p>\n

\"MADRID,<\/a><\/p>\n

MADRID, SPAIN – JULY 28: Gonzalo Garcia of Real Madrid CF celebrates after scoring his team\u2019s second goal during the Real Madrid training session held in collaboration with CD Leganes at Alfredo Di Stefano stadium on July 28, 2026, in Madrid, Spain. (Photo By Dennis Agyeman\/Europa Press via Getty Images) Europa Press via Getty Images<\/p>\n

At \u20ac125.00m, Yan Diomande rolls in as the most expensive transfer in Real Madrid history. There is a lot of pressure on his shoulders.<\/p>\n

But let\u2019s quickly and easily reframe this into something much more positive: Diomande is one of the most exciting winger prospects in the world, and at just 19, has already begun his ascent towards the echelon of the elite players in his position.<\/p>\n

Diomande is one of the best line-breaking wingers in the world, ranking in the 95th percentile in Europe in successful dribbles and 95th percentile in progressive carries. He\u2019s also an athletic freak who presses and tracks on the wing \u2014 bringing two-way balance that\u2019s much needed given Trent Alexander-Arnold will need help defensively and Mourinho goes to war with workhorses.<\/p>\n

Some will deem Diomande as unnecessary. What they might miss: In Mourinho\u2019s 4-2-3-1, a right winger like Diomande is very necessary. There was no one else in the current squad who could\u2019ve provided that symmetry otherwise.<\/p>\n

I spoke about Silva\u2019s role in the team in a column last week<\/a>, but essentially: If you were low on his signing, expect him to surprise you. Silva is still at a very high level when it comes to controlling possession, helping escape pressure, progressing the ball, and providing a ton of great defensive work.<\/p>\n

He will be even more important now after the Rodri snub.<\/p>\n

I have Konat\u00e9 down as an x-factor for Real Madrid this season. The reason is simple: There is virtually no doubt that Real Madrid will be leaning on him a lot this season due to Eder Militao\u2019s health and the variance of the entire Real Madrid center-back depth chart. They will live and die with whatever version of Konat\u00e9 shows up.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a very difficult year for the French center-back. He lost his good friend, Diogo Jota, before the season started, and then his father passed away. Konat\u00e9 stepped away to take some time. Later, he spoke candidly about the depression he went through.<\/p>\n

The best version of Konat\u00e9 is physically imposing, a commander of his own box, press-resistant, strong with the ball at his feet, and quick. The best version of Konat\u00e9 also worked well with Trent Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool. The more recent version of him is a bit more error prone \u2014 and a lot of that has to do with his mental battles.<\/p>\n

Can Mourinho unlock the best version of Konat\u00e9? It will be desperately needed.<\/p>\n

Palacios plays in the position Real Madrid are the most abundant in, which is a classic problem Real Madrid academy players run into. Irrespective: Palacios is awesome and has a solid playing career ahead of him.<\/p>\n

Fulham should be fun to watch with the holy trifecta of Arbeloa, Gonzalo, Palacios.<\/p>\n

Palacios has something that I can\u2019t quite describe. It\u2019s an instinct \u2014 a football wizardry \u2014 that you can\u2019t teach. Watch his first touch and how he somehow comes out of heavy pressure unscathed with the ball still at his feet. He has a unique football brain and supremely gifted just outside the opponents\u2019 box.<\/p>\n

My prediction: His value will skyrocket in the next few years.<\/p>\n

Mastantuono going out on loan was always going be one of the biggest needs of this transfer window. He needs to play, develop, and acclimatize himself to European football. There are glimpses of his talent here and there: the shoulder drops, the cuts inside and out, his menacing pressing. Remember: He turned 19 just this month.<\/p>\n

But there is a lot to improve on, and Mastantuono will have to develop his game not only technically, but also tactically. He will need to become more of a pure right winger to fit into European football, or else he\u2019ll fall into the same bucket of pseudo 10 \/ winger hybrids that Real Madrid already have in the pipeline.<\/p>\n

Mastantuno\u2019s first touch is heavy and clunky. He lacks the speed of a traditional winger. His passing isn\u2019t fine-tuned yet enough to be a reliable creator.<\/p>\n

In his first interview with Fiorentina this month, he stated that he is aware he needs to improve his defense.<\/p>\n

Maybe. But that\u2019s the last thing I thought of. Mastantuono needs to sharpen his offensive skills to become a more prolific line-breaking dribbler. He also needs to polish his touch and passing.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>