‘It’s closed’ – Real Madrid boss Ancelotti rules out signings before January transfer deadline

• Blancos have been quiet in winter market
• Little movement in the Spanish capital
• Coach has faith in those at his disposal

WHAT HAPPENED? The Blancos have, by their standards, been relatively quiet on the recruitment front before and during the 2022-23 campaign. Aurelien Tchouameni was an elaborate addition prior to the season getting underway, but no business has been done during the winter window and Ancelotti expects that to remain the case despite Real slipping five points adrift of arch-rivals Barcelona in pursuit of another domestic crown.

WHAT THEY SAID: Ancelotti has told reporters when asked about Real’s plans heading into the final days of the January window: “It’s closed in every respect, both in terms of exits and players coming in.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Ancelotti saw his side drop two points in their latest La Lia outing, with a 0-0 draw played out at home to third-placed Real Sociedad. The Blancos are now playing catch-up, but their manager remains in buoyant mood, adding: “If we get a win on Thursday, we will have picked up more points than we did [this time] last year. Barcelona are doing very well, but it's a long season. It's been a tough January, but the team has improved a lot in all areas: in attack, defence, the physical side. The team is improving and we've got some injured players coming back this week. We're confident about the coming months.”

IN THREE PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT? Real Madrid will be back in action when playing host to Valencia on Thursday, while they also have the Club World Cup fast approaching in Morocco – as the reigning champions of Europe – and a Champions League last-16 encounter with Premier League giants Liverpool.