Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti manager has said it is not easy for him to talk about the transfer market, suggesting there is a chance that the club could look to strengthen in January.
La Liga and UEFA Champions League holders Real Madrid had a decent first half of the 2024-25 season. They began the season with a well-deserved win over Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup in August. They closed the year by winning the FIFA Intercontinental Cup at Pachuca’s expense.
Their form in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League, however, has been a bit of a hit-and-miss. They have suffered two defeats and played out four draws in the Spanish top flight and lost three games in the UEFA Champions League. They have also lost two key players, Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao, to Anterior Cruciate Ligament tears, meaning they will not be able to count on them this season.
Carlo Ancelotti Refuses to Rule Out January Signings for Real Madrid
Fixture congestion will only get worse in the second half of the 2024-25 season and could expose Los Blancos’ understaffed rearguard. There have been reports that Los Merengues are pushing to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool to fill the right-back position, and Ancelotti’s convoluted answer about January transfers is likely to encourage fans.
Speaking to the press ahead of the clash against Valencia on 3rd January, the Italian tactician said (via Managing Madrid):
“Talking about this [January transfers] is a bit more complicated. We will see. The only thing I can say is that we have a lot of games in January and we are focused on this. Talking about the market is not easy for me at the moment.”
He added:
“I don’t want to talk about it, because it’s not the right time to talk about it here. We’ll see what will happen, considering that I’m happy with the squad I have.”
With 40 points to their name after 18 rounds of fixtures, Real Madrid find themselves in second place in the La Liga rankings. They are trailing neighbours Atletico Madrid by a solitary point. A win on Friday would provisionally put Real Madrid at the summit.
