Real Madrid

Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. has said he "realised a dream" on Tuesday when he made his senior debut for Brazil and played alongside his "idol" Neymar.

The 19-year-old came off the bench for the final 15 minutes of the match against Peru at the LA Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. Brazil were disappointing on the night though, as they were upset 1-0 by their opponents.

Despite the loss, afterwards Vinicius reflected on what was a memorable fixture for himself, per Fernando Kallas of AS:

"It was a unique feeling—like I was realising a dream. That I'd finally done it. After so many years of working hard, battling and persevering, I couldn't stop thinking about my family, the sacrifices that they made and all that they have done so that this moment could become a reality.

"They have dedicated their lives in teaching me the right path to follow and I'm very fortunate to have them by my side."

Vinicius was on the field when Peru netted an 83rd-minute winner through Luis Abram, with Ricardo Gareca's team earning a fillip of revenge following their Copa America final loss to Brazil in the summer:

¡Revive el gol de #LuisAbram con el cual Perú vence a Brasil en el LA Memorial Coliseum!#Perú 🇵🇪1-0🇧🇷 #Brasil#PerúBrasilxMDeportes #Incondicionales❤️

📄➡ https://t.co/uABHVqPROw

Mira el partido en cualquier lugar con #MovistarPlayPerú▶ https://t.co/0QaBBNQcVV pic.twitter.com/Vm2mg4I7QP

— Movistar Deportes (@MovistarDeporPe) September 11, 2019

With Brazil struggling for an attacking spark in the friendly, manager Tite brought Neymar on in the 63rd minute. 

In addition to making his debut for the national team, Vinicius said playing alongside the Paris Saint-Germain star was another ambition achieved.

"That was another dream of mine which I've realised—playing alongside my idol," said the Real Madrid starlet. "It's such a feeling of happiness I can't find the words to describe it. It was a big surprise because no one expected to see us both on the pitch but circumstances made it happen."

As relayed by football journalist Tim Stillman, Vinicius' outing for Brazil was significant, as he became the first player born in 2000 to represent the Selecao:

Vinicius Junior becomes the first player to represent Brazil born in the 21st century. ‘Junior’ is pretty apt in this case... https://t.co/r85dLXbWa8

— Tim Stillman (@Stillmanator) September 11, 2019

The outing will be a big boost for the teenager at the start of what promises to be an intriguing season.

Last term, his vibrant wing play was one of the few bright points for Los Blancos in an otherwise dreary campaign. However, injury ruined the final stages of Vinicius' season and the youngster was unable to stake a claim for the Copa America squad.

When he did come back into the side late last season, he showcased more moments of outrageous talent:

| 🤩 |

Stop that, Vinicius! 🇧🇷

He produced this on his first #LaLiga appearance since 2nd March 👏 pic.twitter.com/mXx3GGDbsB

— ELEVEN Football (@ElevenSportsFB) May 5, 2019

Getting on the field regularly in the coming months will be more of a challenge for Vinicius. While he has featured in all three of Real's La Liga games in 2019-20—one start and two substitute appearances—Los Blancos have Eden Hazard, Isco and Lucas Vazquez to come back from injury.

With Rodrygo and Luka Jovic also arriving in the summer, Zinedine Zidane has a plethora of options to call upon in the final third. As such, getting the minutes needed to remain in Tite's thinking for Brazil may be tough for Vinicius.

Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos has hailed Toni Kroos as "indispensable" to the team.

The Spaniard told Rene Wenzel of German outlet Sport Buzzer (h/t Goal's James Westwood): 

"He is an indispensable member of our team who creates the right balance. From the start, he's been awesome. He delivers solutions within our game and is an extraordinary passer who has assisted many of my headed goals."

The 29-year-old joined Los Blancos from Bayern Munich in 2014 on the back of winning the FIFA World Cup with Germany, with whom he has made 94 appearances.

He has since made 236 appearances for Real, contributing 59 assists and 14 goals in that time.

The midfielder has won the UEFA Champions League three times with Madrid and La Liga once, among other honours.

Kroos excels in retaining possession for his side with his almost unerringly accurate distribution, and he uses the ball intelligently to create opportunities for his team-mates, too.

He did as much in Los Blancos' 1-1 draw with Real Valladolid in August:

100% - Toni Kroos completed all of his 53 passes against Real Valladolid and created the most chances of any player in the first half (4). Engine. pic.twitter.com/MuUNqHWHlj

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) August 24, 2019

Football writer Manuel Veth and Goal's Ronan Murphy praised him for his showing in Germany's 2-0 win over Northern Ireland on Monday:

Some of those Kroos passes were beauties too. Showed his experience, something the team lacks at times. Wonder why?

— Ronan Murphy (@swearimnotpaul) September 9, 2019

Bleacher Report's Jack Collins was less impressed, though, and felt his performance was a symptom of decline:

This isn’t to say that it’s not a temporary patch and that he can return to form, or that he’s still not a sublime passer of the ball. I hope that he does and that this is a blip, he was majestic in his prime. But everything I’m seeing is a second off the pace, a fraction behind.

— Jack Collins (@jackjcollins) September 9, 2019

Like the majority of his Real Madrid team-mates, Kroos did not have a season to remember in the 2018-19 campaign.

Though he's yet to turn 30, he does appear to have lost some mobility. That could increasingly become an issue for Real given Luka Modric is 34, so Casemiro may find he has a lot of ground to cover this season to compensate.

Kroos still has four years remaining on his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu, and he has much still to contribute, but the club may wish to bring in another option to share the load in the near future.  

Eden Hazard has returned to full training and could be in line to make his competitive Real Madrid debut at home to Levante on Saturday. 

Real return to La Liga following the international break in Week 4, and Marca reported on Monday that Hazard had rejoined Zinedine Zidane's senior squad. The report added Sergio Ramos and Dani Carvajal are expected back on Tuesday.

The club posted a video of €100 million signing Hazard back in first-team training following the international break:

✅⚽ Our first training session of the week at #RMCity! #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/UWFx3Wamg8

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) September 9, 2019

The player joined Los Blancos from Chelsea in June but suffered a "muscular injury to the anterior part of his right thigh" in mid-August, a knock that's kept him sidelined for almost a month.

Hazard travelled to Brussels ready to play for Belgium in their UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers against San Marino and Scotland, but he returned to Madrid upon meeting up with the squad.

Manager Roberto Martinez ultimately had no need for the winger after his side emerged with 4-0 wins in each of their trips to San Marino and Scotland, respectively, but Real haven't been as comfortable in his absence.

Zidane's side have drawn their last two games against Real Valladolid (home) and Villarreal (away). Their only win of the campaign so far remains the opening-day 3-1 victory at Celta Vigo.

Hazard won Chelsea's Goal of the Season award for an unprecedented third time in 2019 following his solo strike in a 2-1 win over Liverpool in the Carabao Cup third round, via Goal:

Describe Eden Hazard in one word ✨pic.twitter.com/CQPK0ThSiH

— GOAL (@goal) September 6, 2019

That's the kind of inspiration Real hope will spark them into life once Hazard returns. Gareth Bale scored twice in the Week 3 draw away to Villarreal before he was sent off, meaning he's suspended for the visit of Levante.

The team could do with the added reinforcements in attack, and Rodrygo Goes is another in contention to return to the team this week following injury.

Hazard was the main piece of an expensive summer at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, during which they recruited big names in Luka Jovic, Ferland Mendy and Eder Militao, per Goal:

Real Madrid's summer signings 🇪🇸

Eden Hazard | €100m
Luka Jovic | €60m
Eder Militao | €50m
Ferland Mendy | €48m
Rodrygo | €45m
Alberto Soro | €2.5m
Alphonse Areola | Loan
Takefusa Kubo | Free pic.twitter.com/M9O90aYqQZ

— GOAL (@goal) September 4, 2019

Militao is still yet to make his La Liga debut, while Mendy has played just 90 minutes in Spain's top flight so far.

Real will be alert to Levante's threat after Los Granotas won 2-1 when they last travelled to the Bernabeu in October 2018, and the return of Hazard should boost their chances considerably.

Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos has spoken out in support of Gareth Bale's quality, despite the Wales international being regularly linked with a move away from the club in the summer. 

Bale's days at the Santiago Bernabeu appeared to be numbered ahead of the campaign when manager Zinedine Zidane said during pre-season that "we hope he leaves soon." A proposed transfer to Chinese Super League club Jiangsu Suning looked like the Welshman's route away from Madrid, although the deal collapsed.

Speaking about his team-mate, Ramos talked up Bale's importance for the upcoming season and dismissed any notion that the forward's interest in golf is an issue, per Amitai Winehouse of the MailOnline:

"I think Bale's a great player, and he's been really important for the club in the years he's been with us. You find many things in the press. Some are true, some are not. We live in this world and we have to try to be above all that.

"Regarding what has been said about Gareth, I think time puts everything in place. Regardless of what each player does in his personal life, I think it should be respected and not even talked about. We're free to do what we want with our free time.

"Of course, professionally, you owe yourself to a team, to a club, and you try to be as honest as possible. Afterwards, it's up to each person to go home with a clear conscience or not."

Ramos is regarded as one of the finest defenders in Real Madrid's history and recently reached a landmark for his country during the international break:

Sergio Ramos has tied Iker Casillas for most Spanish caps in team history 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/Ua4crMWeZR

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 8, 2019

Per Winehouse, Bale is said to be nicknamed "The Golfer" by some in the Madrid dressing room due to his love of the sport. 

Bale has started the first three games of the La Liga season for Los Blancos. He was key in helping Madrid to a 2-2 draw at Villarreal with two goals although blemished his day with a late red card:

The 30-year-old kept up his good form at the start of the campaign with the winning goal for Wales in their recent 2-1 triumph over Azerbaijan:

🎙️ "Gareth Bale somehow gets it home!"

Huge goal for Wales as Allen's deflected shot loops up in the air and Bale knocks a header just over the line!

Watch live on @SkySportsPL or follow it here: https://t.co/zPnMFafEL7 pic.twitter.com/7K8RLd3NT8

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) September 6, 2019

Madrid are without the likes of Eden Hazard, Marco Asensio and Isco due to injuries, meaning Zidane has little choice but to field Bale. After starting the campaign well, it will be interesting to see whether he is able to keep his place in the side.

After all, Bale is still a force when at his best. His crossing from the left flank has been pinpoint, while his aerial ability, shooting from distance and speed make him a big threat in the final third.

Despite being among the goals, Bale doesn't appear content, having recently said he is "not playing happy" at the Santiago Bernabeu. With that in mind, speculation regarding his future at the club will likely continue up until the January window opens.

Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos has said the club "always has the door open" for players like Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba. 

Pogba was linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu in particular throughout the summer transfer window, with reports suggesting he was keen on the transfer to Spain.

A deal never materialised, but Ramos spoke at the premiere of his new Amazon Prime series, El Corazon de Sergio Ramos (h/t Mikael McKenzie of the Daily Express), and said: 

"I think Real Madrid always has the door open for good players such as him."

"For me, Pogba is one of the great players. He is different, and he has shown his value at Juventus and now Manchester United. I think he brings balance to a team. He has a great offensive influence, and he has this amazing physique."

The links between the two parties appear to have strengthened since Zinedine Zidane was reappointed Real manager in March.

Spanish football writer Sid Lowe recently spoke to the BBC's Dan Walker on Football Focus (h/t Match of the Day) and expressed how high a priority Pogba was for his French compatriot:

"Zidane was absolutely adamant that the midfielder he wanted was Paul Pogba."

The latest on the transfer window from @sidlowe... pic.twitter.com/tWWsO3JXEt

— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) August 31, 2019

The Red Devils appear to be lacking the quality or immediate silverware threat they would likely require to tempt the player to stay. Pogba's current contract is set to expire in June 2021 (with the option of an extra year).

United lost Ander Herrera this past summer, and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may be forced to consider the likes of Angel Gomes, 19, and James Garner, 18, as first-team options in midfield.

Journalist John Bennett recently touched upon the lack of players at the core of Solskjaer's side:

He may have wanted to leave but looking at that Manchester United squad now after all the business/lack of business this summer they look more reliant on Paul Pogba than ever.

— John Bennett (@JohnBennettBBC) August 8, 2019

United didn't properly replace Herrera over the summer and have promoted Andreas Pereira as a senior option in his place.

James Robson of the Evening Standard recently wrote about Pogba's public gestures towards leaving the club, despite the fact he found out in June that he wouldn't be allowed to depart.

Former Red Devil Patrice Evra said at the end of August that he felt Pogba was focused on the project in Manchester, via Goal:

"Paul is in Manchester and he will stay in Manchester" 🗣

Patrice Evra said he thought Paul Pogba would leave Man Utd earlier this summer, but things are different now... pic.twitter.com/BtwUpwTN0F

— GOAL (@goal) August 30, 2019

Ramos knows the ageing figure of 34-year-old Luka Modric—who has a contract with Real until the end of this season—will need replacing in the near future.

The defender's comments will only encourage Real supporters amid the club's alleged interest in the player.

Pogba will be expected to feature for United on Saturday when they host Leicester City in their return from the international break, hoping to end a run of three league games without a win.

Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic has been ruled out of Serbia's 2020 UEFA European Championship qualifier against Luxembourg on Tuesday after suffering an injury relapse.

Jovic picked up the problem during Serbia's 4-2 defeat to Portugal on Sunday, according to a statement from the Serbian Football Federation (h/t Carlos Forjanes at AS).

"In the game against Portugal he suffered a relapse from an injury he was suffering from when he joined up with the national squad, and having been examined by the medics, it has been determined that he won't be able to play this Tuesday against Luxembourg," the statement read.

The 21-year-old did not start the loss to Portugal in Belgrade and only arrived after 87 minutes as a substitute for Luka Milivojevic.

The news will be a further blow to the youngster, who has endured an injury-interrupted start to life at Real Madrid following his £57.7 million summer move from Eintracht Frankfurt.

The forward suffered an ankle problem in pre-season that forced him onto the bench for Real Madrid's La Liga games against Celta Vigo and Real Valladolid. Jovic started Real Madrid's 2-2 draw with Villarreal but is still yet to score his first goal for his new club.

He did manage to make an impact in the game with a backheeled assist for Gareth Bale, as shown by La Liga:

Was Luka Jovic's backheel nutmeg the best skill from last weekend? 🔥

💫 #LaLigaSantander 💫 pic.twitter.com/VJ55Oe6H6r

— LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) September 3, 2019

Real Madrid will be hoping the injury is not too serious and Jovic is not sidelined for long. Los Blancos return to La Liga action Saturday against Levante and then take on French champions Paris Saint-Germain in their first UEFA Champions League group fixture.

The club have seen a number of key players sidelined in the early weeks of the season. Eden Hazard, Marco Asensio, Brahim Diaz, Rodrygo, Isco and James Rodriguez are all currently out, per Transfermarkt.

Hazard has yet to make his debut since joining from Chelsea. He returned to training Friday but "only completed half of the session," according to J.I. Garcia-Ochoa of Marca.

Meanwhile, Gareth Bale will miss the game against Levante due to suspension after being sent off against Villarreal:

Real Madrid appeal unsuccessful as Bale handed one game ban. https://t.co/OT284VRMzx pic.twitter.com/cCiu5CpeYk

— AS USA (@English_AS) September 5, 2019

Jovic's injury will be of concern to manager Zinedine Zidane given the other injuries to his attackers and the fact his team have made a slow start to the 2019-20 season. Los Blancos have won only of their first three games and are already four points behind Atletico Madrid.

Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale has said he's not "playing happy" for the club following a summer of speculation regarding a possible transfer.

The Wales international appeared poised to leave the Santiago Bernabeu in the previous window, although Los Blancos pulled the plug on a deal that would have seen Bale move to Chinese Super League club Jiangsu Suning.

Speaking about his situation at Real while away on international duty with Wales, Bale told Sky Sports News it's far from ideal:

"I understand I was made more of a scapegoat than most, I take it with a pinch of salt even though maybe it's not all fully fair.

"Towards the end of last season was difficult, there is no denying that, not just for me but for the team. I wouldn't say I'm playing happy, but I'm playing, when I am playing I am professional and I am always giving all I can, whether that be for club or country.

"I'm sure there'll be plenty more turbulence, to be honest. I suppose it is something you will have to speak to Real Madrid about and it's between me and them, and we will have to come to some sort of conclusion."

During the summer, Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane said "we hope he leaves soon" when discussing the player's future.

In the Sky Sports interview, Bale said "I just kept my head down" when he returned to pre-season training with the team.

Although he could have easily left Los Blancos in the summer, Bale has started all three of Real Madrid's La Liga games this season.

On Sunday, he scored twice and was sent off in an entertaining 2-2 draw at Villarreal:

https://twitter.com/itvfootball/status/1168440084124917761

Since arriving at Madrid, Bale has been one of the key players in one of the most dominant spells in the club's history:

📆 OTD in 2013, Real Madrid unveiled their latest galáctico; Gareth Bale...

∙ 234 games
∙ 104 goals
∙ 66 assists
∙ FOUR Champions League trophies

The most-decorated British footballer of his generation 👑 pic.twitter.com/7dyloDT5Yx

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 2, 2019

Despite his consistent presence and the number of vital goals he has scored, Bale has never been completely accepted by the Madridistas. In addition, the Welshman was phased out by Zidane towards the end of his first spell in charge.

Zidane clearly wasn't keen on Bale being around for the current campaign, either, although the indications are that he will have a role to play until January at least. 

After Bale equalised at Villarreal, Sachin Nakrani of the Guardian joked about the relationship between the player and manager:

https://twitter.com/SachinNakrani/status/1168263664564166656

Aside from his red card in the previous fixture, Bale has had a strong start to the season. His performances have been a reminder that the Wales international can still be effective when given opportunities, and it will be intriguing to see if those chances still come about once the likes of Eden Hazard and Isco return to fitness.

Bale will be hoping to put his issues at his club behind him in the coming days, with Wales' UEFA European Championship qualifying hopes his short-term focus. They play Azerbaijan on Friday and Belarus on Monday, looking to improve on their current record of one win from three games.  

Vinicius Junior has said it has been a challenge adapting to a new position on the right wing after the arrival of Eden Hazard at Real Madrid.

The Belgian was signed from Chelsea back in June in a deal that could potentially reach £150 million:

Eden Hazard joins Real Madrid's Galactico club. https://t.co/Yk75vgXiYp

— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 7, 2019

Hazard has been brought in as a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo, who left Real for Juventus last summer. Although he is currently sidelined through injury, the 28-year-old will play on the left of Madrid's attack.

As a result, Vinicius will have to play on the right flank if he wants regular first-team action. 

The 19-year-old has acknowledged the challenge he is facing, but he said he is starting to adapt to the new role, per Marca: 

"At every club, the right-footed players like to play on the left, like Hazard does. It's the same here. Each player has their own characteristics, and it's the coach that decides. It's always really difficult to begin with, but I'm adapting well in my new position.

"I'm training and asking [Zinedine] Zidane [about it], who is putting me there. Left or right, having the chance to play on both wings helps me at Real Madrid and in the [Brazilian] national team."

Vinicius played 18 times in La Liga during Real's poor 2018-19 campaign, and his fine performances were one of few bright spots for the Madrid giants.

However, he then picked up a calf injury in March, arguably due to being overplayed by then-manager Santiago Solari:

still think this seems a lot, Vinicius expected out for 2 months with torn ligament https://t.co/SfEll1foPh

— Tom Allnutt (@TomAllnutt_) March 6, 2019

His lengthy absence scuppered his chances of playing in the 2019 Copa America for Brazil, which the Selecao went on to win.

After playing some part in each of Real's three La Liga games so far this season—a win over Celta Vigo and draws with Real Valladolid and Villarreal—he is now expected to make his senior Brazil debut in upcoming friendlies against Colombia and Peru.

Vinicius will likely have a key role to play for Real when La Liga resumes after the international break.

The pace is being set by Atletico Madrid, who have nine points from three matches compared to Real's five.

Los Blancos' next fixtures are tough ones against Levante and Sevilla, which they will need to win to not lose pace early in the title race. 

Luka Jovic has said he is "ready to answer the biggest demands" at Real Madrid following a difficult start to his debut season at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The 21-year-old signed for Real for £57.7 million in June after a fine 2018-19 campaign with Eintracht Frankfurt in which he netted 17 Bundesliga goals.

He picked up an injury in pre-season, though, meaning his preparations for the 2019-20 campaign were hampered, and he could only appear from the bench in Real's opening La Liga games against Celta Vigo and Real Valladolid.

Jovic started on Sunday against Villarreal, though, and played a key role in the first of Gareth Bale's two goals:

Jovic not that involved but produced a great flick in buildup to first goal.

So that’s 2 new signings and “The Golfer” contributing, while Vazquez messes everything up and Ramos costs a goal with a trademark error.

Zidane’s summer narrative is bs.

— Sam Tighe (@stighefootball) September 1, 2019

He has now said he is ready to meet the demands of playing for Real, per Sacha Pisani of Goal: 

"After the pre-season, of course it's getting better now. I was injured, it was that red card when I had to come off against Arsenal [in the first half of the International Champions Cup clash after Nacho Fernandez was sent off]. It's not easy for one young player, but I think I handled it in the best way possible, and I'm ready to answer the biggest demands."

Los Blancos would benefit hugely from having a fit and firing Jovic in the squad as they have struggled for goals recently.

The departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus last summer prompted a chastening 2018-19 campaign for Real, in which they netted just 63 goals in La Liga, their worst return since 1999-20.

In a bid to properly replace Ronaldo, who averaged 50 goals a season while at Real, the Madrid giants spent big in the recent transfer window:

Real Madrid's summer signings 🇪🇸

Eden Hazard | €100m
Luka Jovic | €60m
Eder Militao | €50m
Ferland Mendy | €48m
Rodrygo | €45m
Alberto Soro | €2.5m
Alphonse Areola | Loan
Takefusa Kubo | Free pic.twitter.com/M9O90aYqQZ

— GOAL (@goal) September 4, 2019

Eden Hazard is the obvious like-for-like replacement for the Portuguese superstar, but if Jovic can find form, he will play a key role in providing the goals Real lost when Ronaldo departed. 

Real have started the new campaign with a win and two draws and currently sit fifth in La Liga.

They host Levante after the international break, and Jovic will be eager to open his Real account now he is back to full fitness.   

Dani Carvajal has said he "was in doubt" that Neymar would sign for Real Madrid during the summer, but he added Paul Pogba's potential move to the Santiago Bernabeu "sounded good." 

The Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United stars were heavily linked with Real, but both are still at their respective clubs following the closure of La Liga's transfer window on Monday.

Per El Partidazo de COPE (h/t Dejan Kalinic of Goal), right-back Carvajal, who has been at Real since 2013, would have welcomed either player in Madrid, but he was particularly sceptical about reports surrounding Neymar, who was also linked with former club Barcelona:

"You saw that one day he went to Barca, another day he came with us, another day he stayed. We asked the Brazilians, and they told us that he didn't know. I was in doubt. He is a top-five or top-three player. Such a player is welcome on any team.

"Pogba sounded good too. The transfer dates close differently everywhere and in the end he has not arrived. We are who we are, and we cannot think of someone who is not with us."

United midfielder Pogba, 26, hinted at a move to Real back in June when he said "it could be a good time to have a new challenge somewhere else." 

When the Premier League's transfer window closed on August 8, though, without United signing a replacement for the Frenchman, any chance of Real snapping up Pogba looked over:

Spain giving up on Pogba. https://t.co/Fu15WdhEfC

— Tom Allnutt (@TomAllnutt_) August 8, 2019

It has long been clear, meanwhile, that Neymar wants out of PSG, but as the end of La Liga's transfer window drew closer, Barca became the only realistic destination for the Brazil international.

In the end, no move materialised for Neymar, but the Blaugrana are reportedly confident of finally re-signing their former star in 2020, per Joaquim Piera of Sport.

Despite not signing Pogba or Neymar, Real still had a very busy summer in the transfer window, spending over €300 million (£272 million) on the likes of Eden Hazard, Rodrygo, Luka Jovic and Eder Militao.

Los Blancos have endured a mixed start to the new La Liga campaign and sit fifth in the table after a win against Celta Vigo and draws with Real Valladolid and Villarreal. 

Manager Zinedine Zidane has yet to have the chance to start his best team in 2019-20 as a number of key players are sidelined through injury, most notably Hazard:

Real Madrid's past fortnight
📆 August 14 - Rodrygo injury
📆 August 16 - Hazard injury
📆 August 20 - Brahim injury
📆 August 26 - James injury
📆 August 28 - Isco injury

😬 pic.twitter.com/R6IS8cbIkh

— GOAL (@goal) August 28, 2019

But, even without adding Neymar or Pogba to the squad, Real should still have enough talent to challenge for La Liga this season, something they failed to do last term.