Real Madrid's squad for the 2024/25 season is shaping up to be one of the most exciting of recent times.
New additions Endrick and Kylian Mbappe will look to provide fresh impetus and hopefully help return Carlo Ancelotti's side to the peak of their powers within European football.
Having now won just one of the last five Champions League crowns available to them, chances are the onus will be on a 15th major title in the competition but will their highly competitive squad depth work for or against them?
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Real Madrid's potential domino effect and how the future looks for Vini Jr, Bellingham and Rodrygo
Here at FourFourTwo, we've decided to delve a little bit deeper in exploring how each attacking star Real will have come the summer could work against them in terms of a potential domino effect seen in yesteryear.
Remember when both Angel Di Maria and Mesut Ozil were shipped out to the Premier League given they were 'surplus to requirements'? We feel that situation may once again be coming to fruition...
1. Jude Bellingham
Energetic, exciting, put simply, Jude Bellingham has been Real Madrid's enigma this season. With Karim Benzema shipped off to the Middle East, the Spanish giants have at times solely relied on the England international to save them with his lung-busting runs into the box and a vital finisher's instinct to go with it.
As for his future, we think it is abundantly that the former Birmingham City man will at some point return to England and evoke a lifelong dream of playing in the Premier League.
When that will be? Who knows – but with only a handful of clubs available to poach him, we feel as if he may remain at the Bernebau for at least the next three to four years.
2. Vinicius Jr
An electric winger with a superb eye for goal, Brazilian superstar Vinicius Jr moved to Real back in 2018 but has faced off-field troubles ever since.
Continued racist attacks from supporters mean the 23-year-old is yet to rule out a move away from Madrid in the near future and we can for sure see him jumping ship. Just where remains the real question, would a switch to England suit his play style? Could we see him in Germany or even France, perhaps?
"I think I could stay here my whole career, but the club of my life is Flamengo," he told French newspaper L'Equipe in 2023.
"I promised my father I would go back one day. I have to keep this promise."
3. Rodrygo
The same age as fellow Brazilian Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo has become one of Ancelotti's go-to men this season, starting almost every La Liga clash in the centre-forward spot.
With thirteen goals and eight assists to his name in all competitions, Rodrygo is under contract until 2028 – could it be at that point that he's swapped by the emergence of the incoming Endrick? A brave statement to say, but at 28, clubs like Manchester City, Liverpool and even Manchester United would be silly not to test the waters given his superb attacking skillset.
With Mbappe also to arrive, who's not to say that the next 12 months could really be make or break for the former Santos man?
4. Arda Guler
At just 19, Turkish talent Arda Guler has found opportunities hard to come by so far this season. The exciting prospect arrived from Fenerbahce in the summer but has made just five appereances, all as a sub, for Real.
Does this situation remind anyone of a young Martin Odegaard? Hoisted into the limelight before developing into a world-beater elsewhere?
With new shiny toys so to speak set to arrive at Real later this year, we feel as if Guler could be another who is shipped off to find a career elsewhere in the not-so-distant future – Arsenal and Liverpool were linked while he was in Turkey.
5. Brahim Diaz
Another of Ancelotti's favourites, Morrocan star Brahim Diaz has enjoyed a wonderful campaign in 23/24.
Operating either on the right, through the middle or in behind Bellingham in attack, the 24-year-old's capabilities are there for all to see at the Bernebau. But again given the plethora of talent set to swarm, could he be another who is cast aside when decisions are tough to make and ego forced to be deal with.
Out of contract in 2027, a wandering eye for regular football will be the top of Diaz's list and it will be interesting again to see how the next 12 months play out for the attacking playmaker.
6. Fede Valverde
At 25, Fede Valverde is one of Real's most talented midfielders. Heck, the kid can do it all.
In fact, having started 27 of Madrid's 29 La Liga games so far this season, the Uruguayan has been on the losing side just once, whilst also contributing a tidy eight assists along the way. But with Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga waiting in the wings, could he be the one forced to make way? Arsenal have previously been linked.
Admittedly, the former has started at centre-back in recent weeks, but with eleven players to get into a team full of superstars, a move across Europe is not out of the realms of possibility.
7. Endrick
England fans caught a glimpse of what Endrick could do at Wembley – and it might not be the last that Europe sees of the Brazilian before his Bernabeu switch.
It's not beyond the realms of possibility that the wonderkid goes on loan elsewhere on the continent before he's ready to crack Madrid. Reinier was sent to Borussia Dortmund (it didn't work out for him), Odegaard to the likes of Real Sociedad and the Eredivisie (it worked for him, just not at Madrid), while Dani Ceballos and Brahim Diaz had spells abroad before returning to the fold.
If Endrick isn't ready to start regularly, a temporary move to one of Europe's elite could be on the cards – and that could mean a Premier League transfer.
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