Real Madrid 2023-24 season preview: Los Blancos will win the treble — if they can sign Kylian Mbappe!

It should be close in Spain. While Barcelona won La Liga last year, Real Madrid have strengthened at a number of positions, and could yet get even better if they sign Mbappe. Barcelona, meanwhile, have lost some key players, and don't have the money to bring in requisite reinforcements.

So, Madrid appear to be in contention to reclaim the Spanish title. They are expected to win the league every year, and things seem set up well for them to do so in 2023-24.

On the European front, anything can happen. Madrid were written off in some corners last year, but still made a run to the Champions League semi-finals. Do they have the quality, or legs, to do it again? Without Mbappe, probably not. Then again, we seem to doubt them every year...

If Madrid do everything right, if everything falls their way, if they stay healthy and don't panic after the odd poor result, they could win the treble. La Liga appears to be attainable, while a Champions League win can never be ruled out in Madrid. And the Copa del Rey, despite its inherent unpredictability, could also be claimed — especially if they flex their squad depth in the earlier rounds of the competition.

The Champions League might be the hardest bit here. It, of course, all depends on the knockout stage draw. If Los Blancos avoid some of the big names early — such as Manchester City or Bayern Munich — they could certainly pick up steam. And once this Madrid side gets to the semi-finals, with all of its experience and magic, anything can happen.

No trophies, a third-place finish in La Liga, and a last-16 exit in the Champions League. There is always the chance here that Barca simply get better. Xavi's side may have lost some key players, but can count on the development of Frenkie de Jong, Alejandro Balde and Pedri. Furthermore, they have a defined system now, one that should carry them through the campaign. Even new signing Oriol Romeu looked good in pre-season!

Madrid, on the other hand, could see this all go very wrong if they fail to bring in Mbappe — or another striker, for that matter. Ancelotti has flirted with a 4-4-2 formation this summer, using Jude Bellingham at the tip of a midfield diamond to run beyond two split strikers. The results have been unsurprisingly mixed, and if the trio don't figure it out, Madrid could have real issues putting the ball in the net.

Throw in a tricky Champions League draw, a surprise Copa del Rey exit, and perhaps an untimely injury or two, and it could be a very ugly season.

There's plenty of star power in this Madrid side. Jude Bellingham, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, and, increasingly, Rodrygo are all going to see their kits fly off the shelves. Still, this has been Vinicius Jr's team for at least a year now.

The winger has turned from a very good player reliant on a Ballon d'Or winner playing next to him, into a world-class superstar in the last 18 months. And the 2022-23 season was his best yet. Vinicius recorded both 20 goals and 20 assists for club and country — and was once again crucial in Madrid's march to silverware.

Now, the expectations are even higher. Without his mate Benzema to pass to, the Brazilian might have to be even more selfish on the ball. But for an electric dribbler and increasingly-adept finisher, that might not be a bad thing. And with Kroos, Modric and Bellingham giving him regular service, he will only have more opportunities to produce moments of magic.

Expect a big season, and perhaps Ballon d'Or consideration if Madrid start winning trophies again.

Madrid have been surprisingly busy in the market this summer, bringing in one superstar, as well as a couple of other solid signings. But the undisputed big name arrival — for now — has to be Jude Bellingham.

Ancelotti has already tweaked his system in order to accommodate the Englishman, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a handsome €103m(£88m/$110m). This, however, is very much a long-term proposition. Bellingham has only just turned 20 and oozes quality. Theoretically, he can play as a No.6, No.8 or No.10. For Madrid, he will likely be a roaming attacking midfielder, and occasional false nine. That might not work immediately, as he ideally needs a central striker to link up with, but this is a signing that will look good now, and even better in three years.

Los Blancos have been shrewd elsewhere in the market, too. Fran Garcia was brought in from Rayo Vallecano in a sneaky €5m(£4.3m/$5.5m) deal — a fee secured by Madrid's buy-back option when he left the club 18 months ago. Arda Guler has also arrived from Fenerbahce, with Madrid signing the 'Turkish Messi' for an initial €20m (£17m/$22m).

There is, of course, the persistent Mbappe rumour. PSG have made it clear that they want to sell their outcast star, and allowed him to negotiate with Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal — something Mbappe rebuffed outright. Madrid could come in for the France captain, but will likely wait until the end of the window to make their move.

This is a tricky one, not least because Madrid already have a number of teenagers in their first team. Bellingham is, technically, still a wonderkid given his age. But he is too well known and, frankly, too good, to hold that status anymore. Given his lofty status, transfer fee, and lack of academy pedigree, Guler is probably also out of the running for this one.

A nod, then, goes to Alvaro Rodriguez. The striker had his moment of glory for Los Blancos last year, scoring an equalising header against Atletico Madrid, but after that, he faded from the spotlight, and returned to youth action for the remainder of the campaign. But now, Madrid are in need of help at the No.9 position, and the academy product could certainly offer solid minutes.

Alvaro is still raw, but his instincts around the box and finishing ability should make him a reliable option off the bench, and perhaps a shrewd starter for early rounds of the Copa del Rey — especially if Madrid get a kind draw.

To play for Real Madrid is to be consistently under scrutiny. Madridistas are notoriously harsh fans, who will love their team when they succeed, and criticise relentlessly when they fail (lest we forget that Vinicius was near-universally despised before he started scoring lots of goals.)

The player under most pressure to perform, though, might be Aurelien Tchouameni. After enjoying an excellent start to last year, his form tailed off after the World Cup. By March, the €100m (£85m/$107m) signing was relegated to the bench, forced to watch as Madrid fell out of the La Liga title race. He was, of course, not helped by the excellent form of Madrid's other options in central midfield.

However, he won't have anywhere to hide this campaign. With Kroos and Modric presumably on their way out, Tchouameni will likely have more chances to impress. If he performs at the level he can, the France star should have the No.6 role locked down for Los Blancos. If not, he could well find himself out the door next summer — or even before the end of September if Madrid need to raise funds for an Mbappe deal.

It will be his last season at the helm in Madrid, so Carlo Ancelotti will likely want to finish on a high note. The Italian manager has enjoyed immense success in his second stint at the Bernabeu, winning every possible trophy over a two-season period.

But he isn't without his critics. Ancelotti has Madrid playing wonderful football, but too often relies on the power of friendship over the minutiae of tactics. It has served Los Blancos well in the Champions League, but has proven costly against more organised defences in La Liga — which Madrid often have difficulty breaking down.

Ancelotti is faced with a new challenge this season, dealing with a surprisingly imbalanced squad full of talented midfielders, but lacking in attacking talent. For nearly 10 years, Madrid relied on Benzema for goalscoring production. Now, they will have to go without him, and it's on Ancelotti to figure out exactly how that will work. His ultimate vibes-ball approach was deadly with the star player through the middle. Things look trickier now.

Meanwhile, the Madrid boss hasalready accepted the Brazil job, and will take the helm upon the expiry of his contract next summer. This could well be his last year in club football. Madrid will hope it's a good one.

Well, there's the obvious one. Benzema left, and Madrid haven't replaced him. And with all due respect to Joselu and his 16 goals for Espanyol last season, Madrid need a top-tier option to play through the middle.

The trendy rumour is, of course, Mbappe. He has made no secret of his desire to play for Madrid someday (he literally wrote a graphic novel about it), but the possibility of that happening this year remains to be seen. PSG are trying to sell him, but Madrid, not unreasonably, won't meet their lofty asking price, and who can blame them? There is admittedly little point in setting a new world-record transfer fee for a player that only has 10 months remaining on his current contract.

This one could go right down to the wire — especially if PSG don't find another buyer in advance of the transfer deadline. There is an outside chance that Madrid look for a striker elsewhere, but PSG's recent acquisition of Goncalo Ramos has made the market look even thinner.

The devastating news on Thursday that Thibaut Courtois has suffered an ACL injury, meanwhile, means Madrid also have a decision to make as to whether they enter the market to sign a new goalkeeper, or trust in back-up Andriy Lunin to step up and become first choice for what is likely to be the majority of the campaign.

There are two different versions of this Madrid line up. One of which has Mbappe leading the line, forming a traditional 4-3-3. The other is what happens if Madrid don't sign him, making the side look a bit weird.

But that's not the only variable here. Ancelotti will have some key decisions to make in centre-midfield and at left-back. Eduardo Camavinga was immensely impressive as a full-back last year, despite openly hating the position, and that might leave Ferland Mendy and Fran Garcia out in the cold. Meanwhile, Ancelotti has an embarrassment of riches in the middle of the park, and has to bench at least one world-class midfielder. In the name of flexibility, here are the two likely versions:

(4-3-3): Andriy Lunin; Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, David Alaba, Eduardo Camavinga; Jude Bellingham, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos; Rodrygo, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr.

OR

(4-4-2): Andriy Lunin; Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, David Alaba, Eduardo Camavinga; Federico Valverde, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Jude Bellingham; Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo.

Madrid's Champions League magic ran out last year, if only because they ran into Pep Guariola's treble-winning Man City side — a team that has a claim to be one of the best club sides of all time. But it could return this year, especially if they sign Mbappe. This Madrid squad is too deep, too good, and too well-coached to underperform domestically and in Europe. Add Mbappe, and his likely 30-plus goals, and it's difficult to see anyone getting past them.

So, Madrid will win the treble this year, if — and only if — they sign Mbappe. Ancelotti has never been short of motivation, but if there was ever a year to give it a go, it's his final one in club football. Los Blancos don't make short-term promises, and no one is bigger than the club, but they have given the Italian all the resources he needs — and could add more — to go out with a bang.

Barcelona have lost players this summer, and, following the departure of Ousmane Dembele to PSG, are markedly weaker than the team that won La Liga last season. Madrid, meanwhile, are already perhaps more effective than last year's disappointing side, and could yet get better.

Domestic success, then, should be near guaranteed. They will fight for the league title with or without Mbappe. If he arrives, they will tie it up early. The rest all hinges on a Champions League draw. If Madrid avoid Man City in the early rounds, then yet another title is possible.

Still, predicting a treble is dangerous work. So, a La Liga crown, Copa del Rey win and Champions League semi-final exit is probably the most reasonable bet. With a young squad to play with, one that will only further develop, that wouldn't be a bad result by any means.