For a long time, it seemed that Real Madrid could not improve any further. The club has been meticulously built up over the past few years by Florentino Perez and Carlo Ancelotti in the transfer window, to the point of near-perfection. This was proven in the 2023/24 season, when Los Blancos recorded a rather memorable season in which they won three times.

But where does the future lie for Real Madrid? Well, they have been heavily linked with some big names. At the moment, they have already signed Endrick and Kylian Mbappe. So, with these new arrivals and Carlo Ancelotti’s further transfer plans, here’s how Real Madrid could look next season…

Goalkeeper and Defense

Next season, Thibaut Courtois will regain his place between the posts. The experienced goalkeeper is clearly the preferred choice over Andriy Lunin, who did well to come on as a substitute but could be sold this summer.

In front of him, Courtois could be protected by a central defender combination of Antonio Rudiger and Eder Militao, with Piero Hincapie as backup. Piero Hincapie would be Real Madrid’s third addition to the squad this summer and since he is there, he is tipped to be their next signing, since he is on Real Madrid’s transfer list. However, he will not enter the team immediately.

On the right side of the defence, Dani Carvajal will continue to do what he does best. Carvajal is still only 32 years old, so he still has a few years to play at the top level. On the left, Ferland Mendy will remain Ancelotti’s number one choice, at least until Davies becomes available for free next summer.

Midfield

The biggest concern is Toni Kroos, or should I say, the lack of Toni Kroos. He is retiring, which means Jude Bellingham can drop deeper into midfield to provide cover. He will of course be joined by Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga, with the likes of Tchouameni and Ceballos providing depth off the bench.

Attack

Given the new additions in the summer transfer window, Ancelotti’s best course of action may be to introduce a front three. It will be a fluid front three of Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior.

How Carlo Ancelotti plans to field these three attackers remains to be seen, but he is blessed with flexibility. They could play with a striker and two wingers, or with two strikers and one just behind. Only Ancelotti is best placed to make that decision.

Full Real Madrid lineup

Courtois; Carvajal, Rudiger, Militao, Mendy; Camavinga, Valverde, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius Jr

The line-up does leave significant absentees, such as Arda Guler, Aurelien Tchouameni, Brahim Diaz, Fran Garcia, Dani Ceballos and David Alaba, but this only means that the depth Real Madrid have acquired is the best in the world.

What will your Real Madrid lineup look like next season?