In his return to the presidency after his first spell at the helm, Florentino Pérez promised “to make Real Madrid more Spanish” so that the fans could identify more with the team. And therefore, since 2009, he has signed Raúl Albiol, Álvaro Arbeloa, Xabi Alonso, Pedro León, Esteban Granero, Sergio Canales, José María Callejón, Dani Carvajal (re-signed), Diego López, Isco and Asier Illarramendi. However, the majority of those players are no longer at the Bernabéu and those that remain will find it difficult to secure a regular berth in Rafa Benítez’s starting XI. There were four Spaniards (Iker Casillas, Carvajal, Sergio Ramos and Isco) who featured regularly in the starting XI last season, but this season there might only be one – David de Gea, who is yet to complete his transfer to the club.
Madrid have already signed Danilo, Casemiro, Lucas Vázquez and Marco Asensio, and it seems likely that they will have Denis Cheryshev and Martin Odegaard at the start of pre-season, although both players will probably be loaned out. However, only the two Brazilians who arrived from Porto will have have guaranteed starting places (at right-back and central midfield respectively), given the fees spent to bring them to the Bernabéu.
With these arrivals, Carvajal could lose his place in defence and Isco (who is wanted by Juventus) will give up his playmaking berth to Luka Modric, who is already recovered from injury. The objective will be to field two out-and-out central midfielders behind the trio of creative players to safeguard the balance that Benítez is so fond of. Illarramendi will have another opportunity under the new coaching staff but, for now, he will find himself continuing as an Option B, C or D like Arbeloa, Nacho and Jesé.
With this scenario, without further arrivals a week before the start of pre-season, and with Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos looking increasingly like they will leave the club, it looks like De Gea and Raphael Varane will take their places in the team.
In the worst case scenario, one where the De Gea deal is not finalised and Casillas still leaves Madrid this summer as seems likely (Roma want him), Keylor Navas (who was signed last summer and has been recently joined in Madrid by Luis Llopis, who was his goakeeping coach at Levante) would be the starting goalkeeper. That would lead to a Real Madrid without Spaniards in their strongest XI and it would leave the president with his desire unfulfilled.
Last season’s regular XI: Casillas; Carvajal, Ramos, Pepe, Marcelo; Kroos, Isco, James, Bale, Benzema, Cristiano.
Probable strongest starting line-up in 2015-16: De Gea; Danilo, Varane, Pepe, Marcelo; Kroos, Casemiro; James, Modric, Bale; Cristiano.