Five key players set to anchor Real Madrid’s starting XI next season

Real Madrid are poised for significant changes in their roster due to a combination of player arrivals and departures. The responsibility of blending new faces with established stars will fall to coach Carlo Ancelotti and his staff as they aim to maintain the club’s competitive edge domestically and in Europe. To predict the team’s probable strategy and performance amidst these changes, it is imperative to identify the key players who will be constant starters.

Kylian Mbappe

With Real Madrid no longer viewing Mbappe through rose-tinted lenses and finally being able to dress him in the royal white jersey, the Frenchman is expected to be one of the first names on the team sheet. Owing to his instinctive nature to find the back of the net, he is poised to be paired alongside Vinicius Jr. in attack.

Last season, the 2018 World Cup winner scored a whopping 44 goals in all competitions. Thus, Real Madrid will be banking heavily on Mbappe’s ability to challenge opposition defenders in the final third. It is being said that Mbappe is all set to wear the iconic number 9 jersey at Real Madrid, indicative of his role as a focal striker.

Vinicius Jr.

Vinicius Jr. is in pole position to win the Ballon d’Or this year, and looking back on his season with Real Madrid, it is easy to see why.

Despite losing Karim Benzema, his usual partner in crime over the past few years, Vinicius performed remarkably well in Ancelotti’s new system.

Relentlessly taking on defenders, arriving into space, scoring goals, and stepping up in the biggest moments, he was one of Real Madrid’s major lynchpins throughout the season as they lifted a historic double. Vinicius impressively racked up 24 goals last season, and given his importance to the team, he is almost guaranteed to maintain a starting role next season.

Jude Bellingham

Defying all expectations in his debut season, Jude Bellingham established himself as a key player for Real Madrid, demonstrating exceptional versatility and maturity far beyond his years.

Although the Englishman’s performances wavered in the final stretch of the season, Bellingham’s contributions ensured Los Blancos were able to compete in the Champions League and especially La Liga.

In addition to scoring 23 goals in all competitions, he has constantly been a beacon of reliability in midfield and has proven to be the voice of reason on the pitch.

There have been murmurs about Bellingham potentially being berthed deeper next season as Real Madrid intends to use him as Kroos’ replacement. However, given his versatility, he is expected to be a crucial player wherever he plays.

Antonio Rudiger

Rudiger is one of the major reasons Real Madrid managed to successfully navigate through their injury crisis. Despite players falling like dominos in the back-line, the German stood resolutely as a dependable figure for most of the campaign, arguably enjoying one of his best seasons.

Expertly anticipating opposition strikers’ movements, he leaps forward to thwart attacks before they begin. Moreover, thanks to his large stature and incredible recovery pace, he is able to cover distances behind. Reports have mentioned that Carlo Ancelotti views him as a crucial component of the squad, and potential arrivals in the back-line are unlikely to devalue his presence.

Thibaut Courtois

In spite of spending more than half of the campaign on the sidelines recovering from an ACL and MCL injury, Courtois is worth his weight in gold for Real Madrid.

He performed admirably in the final few games of the season and did no wrong against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League final. While Andriy Lunin made up for his absence with flying colors, he is placed below Courtois in the pecking order for now, which has also made the Ukrainian lean towards an exit.

The fact that Lunin, after his sublime season, stands no chance of dethroning Courtois between the sticks is a testament to how much the club appreciates the Belgian. Even at the age of 32, Courtois is anticipated to retain an important role in the team.