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Real Madrid Still Need to Sign 1 Defender, and Jonathan Tah Ticks the Most Boxes
- Updated: August 12, 2016
Real Madrid started the 2016/17 season by winning the UEFA Super Cup in Norway on Tuesday, beating Sevilla 3-2 after extra time to follow up lifting the UEFA Champions League title at the end of last season.
Back-to-back European trophies will only serve to boost the optimism and confidence in Zinedine Zidane and his players that they are heading down the path for success, but the squad is not yet so complete that they can reasonably be assured of overhauling Barcelona—or staying marginally ahead of Atletico Madrid, for that matter.
While most rumours have surrounded midfield additions throughout the summer, it is in defence where Zidane’s priorities should lie. Adding at least one more defender to his ranks could go a long way toward helping Los Blancos finally bring back the title they crave in La Liga.
Quiet summer, defensive concerns
Not a single entirely new face can be found at the Santiago Bernabeu this season, other than new fitness coach Antonio Pintus. In fairness, perhaps even that appointment can be seen to be providing benefits already, considering the first game of the season went to extra time and Real finished much stronger, albeit against 10 men.
Other than Zidane’s new lieutenant, though, Alvaro Morata was signed from Juventus after two seasons away, and a slew of players have been involved over the summer who were either out on loan or with Castilla last season, most notably Marco Asensio but also the likes of Mariano Diaz and Marcos Llorente.
Outgoings have been largely restricted to loans or permanent departures of 20-something prospects who were never likely to make the grade, with Jese Rodriguez’s transfer to Paris Saint-Germain the only particularly notable exit.
All told, it is a much quieter summer than Real Madrid usually have, perhaps especially after a major tournament, when they have often previously looked to bring in a big-name player on the world stage.
It means the deficiencies which were present in the squad, especially in defence, will still be prevalent this upcoming season—and there have already been signs of them in pre-season.
Centre-back
A woeful goal or two conceded against PSG in the opening game has been followed up by individual errors of judgement, particularly from captain and key man at the back Sergio Ramos.
His daft challenge in the Super Cup to concede a penalty was a continuation of his moments of rashness which were seen all too often last year, when he was well below his best.
With Raphael Varane searching for the consistency that has long eluded him, both in fitness and form, it fell to Pepe to be the top defender in white last term.
Between the quartet—Nacho being the fourth—Real have just about had enough bodies to get through …
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