What do Real Madrid need to defend the Champions League after Kroos transfer?

May marked the end of an 11-year obsession for Real Madrid when they beat Atletico to win the Champions League. Lifting La Decima was cathartic, a moment which had started to feel like pure fantasy was made real by the 4-1 victory in Lisbon.
Yet the thing about winning trophies is it only makes you hungrier to win more. They may not be talking about it yet, but ‘la Undecima’ (the eleventh European Cup) is guaranteed to be a major theme in the Spanish capital over the next 10 months, and signing Toni Kroos is the first step towards that goal. So what else can Madrid do in order to not only win the Champions League again, but become the first club to successfully defend it?
Recovering Asier Illarramendi
When Real Madrid signed Illarramendi in the summer of 2013 the move was met with a certain degree of scepticism by more than a few observers. Not because the Basque isn’t an excellent footballer, nor that he didn’t look capable of making it at the highest level, but because paying more than €30m for a 23-year-old who had never kicked a ball in the Champions League (and moreover, only had two full seasons’ worth of top flight experience) seemed a big gamble. The midfielder could never quite shake the expectations caused by his transfer fee, nor the odd presumption that he would be a straight swap for Xabi Alonso, based more on the fact that both came through Real Sociedad’s academy rather than any real stylistic resemblance between the two.
The signing of Toni Kroos should be a blessing for both Illarramendi and Real Madrid’s quest to get the best out of him. In a midfield three supporting Kroos and Luka Modric, the pivot should be liberated to do what he does best: short, simple, swift passing while shielding the back four with his natural positional awareness. Alonso’s struggles at the World Cup combined with his age suggest Madrid could do with another holding midfielder capable of stepping up and relieving the veteran, and there were more than a few occasions last season when the creaky former Liverpool man looked exposed when Los Blancos lost possession. The addition of Kroos alongside Modric will free the deepest player in the midfield three from the need to produce the same dynamic range of passing as Alonso has in the role, and with that necessity gone, Illarramendi's conditions are perfect to fill the third slot. The 24-year-old will only be able to do that if he can recover his confidence: something that should pay off in spades for Madrid’s defensive solidity if manager Carlo Ancelotti can meet the challenge.
Bringing in an additional centre-back
Madrid have the luxury of three excellent central defenders in Pepe, Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane, but if they want to achieve the previously unachievable in Europe, Los Blancos can't rest on their laurels. Pepe will turn 32 in February, Varane has a history of injury issues, and it remains to be seen how Ramos will recover from an uncharacteristically sloppy showing at the World Cup. Fourth choice central defender Nacho, meanwhile, is still largely unproven at the highest level, so there is an element of risk in relying on him.
Signing an additional top quality central defender could be a good idea for the Champions League holders, therefore, not only to cover for the eventuality of an emergency caused by injuries, but also to keep pressure on Ramos, Varane and Pepe in order to demand consistency from the three. The obvious problem is that virtually every top side in Europe is looking for a strong centre-back at the moment (not least Barcelona), but Madrid do have a decent record when it comes to signing players to cover that position in recent years, with the rumoured €10m paid for Varane the kind of deal most clubs dream of pulling off.
Supporting Karim Benzema
After selling Gonzalo Higuain, Benzema has lacked cover and genuine competition for his place in the Madrid starting XI, with Alvaro Morata failing to put any real pressure on the Frenchman. Ancelotti’s other alternative was using Isco as a false nine, but the Spaniard’s strong displays in a central midfield role towards the tail end of last season suggest his best qualities aren’t to be found up front. Jese, likewise, could possibly be used in the middle of the forward line, but it would be a waste to move him away from his more natural position after the brilliance the wide forward produced last year.
Madrid’s lengthy – and until Barcelona’s intervention, almost successful – efforts to try and bring Luis Suarez to the Bernabeu show the club is well aware of the need to strengthen in this area, but with the Uruguayan now ruled out, it’s back to square one. Radamel Falcao is the other obvious target, and while there are reports of negotiations for the Colombian, there have been some suggestions that Madrid may opt to wait until the winter window for a move, in order to observe how he has recovered from a serious knee injury. That would leave Falcao cup-tied in the Champions League, however – Monaco will play in Europe’s top competition this season – and as such El Tigre couldn’t contribute to any push to retain the cup with the big ears.
One other alternative could be something that, until now, has proven difficult to negotiate for Ancelotti. The Italian toyed with the idea of using Cristiano Ronaldo at centre forward last season, but in truth the closest he really got to playing the Portuguese in that role was pushing him closer to Karim Benzema in a 4-4-2 shape while not in possession. Ronaldo isn’t fond of playing in the middle, but taking into account the physical issues he experienced over the last year as well as the fact that his 30th birthday is approaching, perhaps moving to a role which requires slightly less miles than the amount demanded while playing out wide isn’t the worst idea. At least on occasion.
Evolving
While Madrid will be more interested in their Champions League glory than domestic failings last season, it is true that they struggled occasionally, particularly in the league. Most obviously, Los Blancos find it difficult to control the midfield against the best sides, resulting in Ancelotti virtually abandoning that notion in the latter half of the season and reverting to a largely counter-attacking philosophy. In Europe that worked out well in the end, but the same problems experienced by counter-attacking Madrid teams of the past are likely to reappear: namely, that opponents will simply cede them possession, resist leaving spaces, and put all of the emphasis on the Champions League holders to create without the possibility of playing on the break.
Bringing in Toni Kroos is a sign that Ancelotti is keen to continue developing his team, and his characteristics suggest the Italian will once again try to make Madrid a more proactive rather than reactive side. With the German alongside Luka Modric, the Spanish giants may finally have the players necessary to put that into practise, a scary thought for the other clubs looking to keep up.

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Real could regret Alvaro Morata sale

Alvaro Morata's move to Juventus may go somewhat under the radar compared to Real Madrid's other transfer deals this summer but the sale of a youngster once dubbed as the next Raul could prove to be the most interesting of the lot.

The 21-year-old passed his medical in Turin on Saturday after the clubs agreed a reported 18 million euro fee. The move had been on hold following Antonio Conte's resignation as manager but Juve pushed through with the transfer after Premier League duo Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur had also been credited with interest.
While most Madrid eyes will be on Toni Kroos, James Rodriguez and Keylor Navas, as well as the possible departures of Angel Di Maria and Sami Khedira, Los Blancos' decision to let go of a player who was only recently their "Golden Boy" will come under scrutiny. The fact that few Madridistas are up in arms over the transfer should tell its own story, however.
Coming through the Madrid ranks, albeit after spells at Atletico Madrid and Getafe, Morata had been the club's, and the supporters', great hope. He scored for fun throughout the youth levels and with Castilla, the club's second team, and showed plenty of signs that he could cut it at the highest level following his promotion to the first team.
Three-and-a-half years and three Madrid managers after making his first-team debut in a 3-1 victory at Real Zaragoza and Morata has decided enough is enough. A failure to grab the trust of Manuel Pellegrini, Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti for a regular starting role has led to the Spanish under-21 international wanting a move elsewhere in search of weekly match action -- and the chance to fulfil his potential.
Each campaign at the Bernabeu had brought new hope. Even as recently as last season the Madrid support had pushed for Morata to get a starting role. Karim Benzema, without the top-level competition of Gonzalo Higuain following his sale to Napoli, had struggled to make an impact in the early stages of the season and Morata was being called upon. Madrid had invested in youth, particularly from Spain, last summer with Asier Illarramendi, Dani Carvajal and Isco amongst the arrivals. A young, Spanish team for the future that could be led by Morata.

As it turned out, Ancelotti stuck with the Frenchman. It was a decision that ultimately worked out with Benzema scoring 17 league goals and five in Europe as Madrid claimed La Decima and the Copa del Rey. Morata pitched in with eight league goals and one in Europe, but 24 of his 28 appearances came from the bench. Ancelotti was not in the mood for rotation and it would be understandable if Morata did not expect that to change a year on.
Any injury to Benzema would have opened the door for Morata but another obstacle came to stand in his way last season -- that of Jese Rodriguez. Morata had spent years trying to impress in the first team but Jese's progression was rapid. He surpassed Morata as the youngster of choice at the Bernabeu, both with the coaching staff and fans, and although the Las Palmas youngster suffered an injury that cut short his superb debut first-team campaign his success was probably the final nail in Morata's coffin in the Spanish capital.
It's a shame that Madrid will not fully get to see the qualities Morata has to offer after investing so much time in him. As usual with deals involving young players leaving the club, Los Blancos are reported to have included a buy-back option for the player but those reports suggest it is upward of 30 million euros, much higher than the option that saw full-back Carvajal move back to Madrid following a spell in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen.
Morata did not have a problem in front of goal. Not with Madrid when called upon, and not with the Spanish under-21 squad where he found the net on a regular basis. What he did have a problem with was getting regular game time to show what he could do week-in, week-out. A like-for-like move to Juventus he will not want, Morata will be expecting more time out on the pitch to reach the levels many hoped he would at the Bernabeu.

A comparison to club legend Raul did not do Morata any favours. At a club that already piles a weight of expectation onto shoulders, the weight of being compared to one of the greatest strikers in Madrid's history cannot have helped. Similarities in his natural sniff of a goal there may have been, but Morata needed to be his own player.
He will face more stiff competition in the shape of Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente at Juventus. The attacking pair scored 35 goals between them last season to help Juve to the Serie A title and they will expect to start the majority of matches next season. Morata will offer a different threat, however, and could complement the duo well as new manager Massimiliano Allegri looks for success in Europe as well as domestically this term.
At 18 million euros, Morata has become the most profitable youth product in Madrid's history leaving the club direct but that fee could well be a snip for Juventus in today's booming market. That offer seems about right for all parties but Los Blancos' fans will be watching Juve with a keen eye next season, no doubt hoping the youngster fulfils his potential and makes his former employers regret not giving him more of a chance. He certainly has the ability to do just that.

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