Six players Real Madrid should consider signing in the 2024 January transfer window

It's difficult to know exactly where Raphael Varane stands at Manchester United under Erik ten Hag, with his status within the squad having swung dramatically one way and then another over the past few weeks.

When he was signed in the summer of 2022, the former Madrid man seemed set to be the top-tier starting centre-back that United had been crying out for to lead them into a new era. But it hasn't worked out that way, despite an encouraging first campaign. Varane slipped down the pecking order in the opening months of this season, but did perform well after being restored to the line-up against Bayern Munich and Liverpool in recent weeks.

To be fair, United are a mess of a club where it seems genuinely difficult to play any sort of vaguely coherent football for an extended period. Still, it's strange to see a defender who was once considered world-class have such a swift fall.

Perhaps, then, a return to Madrid is necessary for him to recpature his best. Madrid are in dire need of cover at the back, and there is some concrete reason to believe this might happen. Bild journalist Christian Falk has suggested that Los Blancos are considering a move for their former centre-back, who at 30, still has a lot of to give despite the miles in his legs. Watch this space.

If you want to start a transfer rumour these days, find a young Portuguese player, and name a top European club. The Primeira Division has become the trendy shopping centre for elite clubs in recent years, and Goncalo Inacio is the latest player of promise who looks set for a big move.

And it's easy to see why. An athletic centre-back who has three years of European football under his belt and is already capped for his national team at just 22 years old, Inacio checks all of the boxes for a future star. Madrid moving him would certainly be a statement of intent, though Sporting have shown reluctance to get rid of their star man, and have placed a €60 million (£52m/$65m) price tag on him.

For a Madrid side that will probably need to save a bit of cash to bring in Mbappe at some point, Inacio isn't exactly a cut-price option. He is, though, a potentially elite footballer, who could grow to become one of the best in the world at his position.

Why can't Piero Hincapie get into the Bayer Leverkusen team? The left-footed centre-back may be a bit loose on the ball at times, but at such a young age, and with so much potential, it's odd that the 21-year-old finds himself on the periphery for the Bundesliga leaders. In fairness, Xabi Alonso has his team firing, and would see little reason to change things up, but that could lead to the Ecuador international looking for pastures new.

Hincapie is very highly-rated defender who can fit Ancelotti's team and is potentially available at below market value given his lack of games this season. At this point, he is steadily becoming an expensive back-up — a chip to cash in on if Leverkusen need to make a move in the market in their push to secure a historic Bundesliga crown.

For a club like Madrid, it's a chance to improve in the short and long-term. Hincapie would get into the team immediately while being able to learn from the litany of experienced heads in the Madrid squad — and could be an impact player for years to come.

Giorgio Scalvini would be a project for a club like Madrid. Still just 20 and relatively inexperienced at the top level, the Italian centre-back is coming into his own this season for a tough Atalanta side.

The Italy international is still raw, but he has all of the physical traits and athletic abilities of a modern centre-back. He's also surprisingly composed for a player so young, and would have very few issues in slotting into a Madrid side that is at its best when in possession.

The biggest caveat here is that Los Blancos are in the hunt for a player of more experience and refinement. This is a team that is needs an emergency signing, not necessarily a promising prospect. With Scalvini, it will come down to Madrid's scouting department — do they believe that a player of his age can make such an impact, so quickly?

And now for the less sexy, more realistic option. Madrid loaned Rafa Marin to Alaves after signing him to a new five-year contract this summer, and it might make sense for all parties for him to come back early.

The centre-back has impressed so far this season, and turned in an imposing performance when the two sides met on December 21. Add to the fact that he knows the club, has played with most of the Madrid squad, and has Ancelotti's trust, and this makes sense as a low-risk, high-reward signing — with little financial commitment.

The long-term fit could come into question, but if money is tight, he's the right guy.

Let Madridistas dream, yeah? Mbappe will, presumably, be a Madrid player at some point, and him finally putting pen to paper on a contract at the Bernabeu merely feels like a formality now.

Many assumed that the move would happen last summer, but this near-certainty has been continued to be pushed back. In a way, though, it would makes sense if Madrid wanted to get the job done this January. They are suffering from injuries all over the pitch, and could certainly use some help up front — especially if Vinicius Jr's muscle problems continue.

There was perhaps a slim chance this would happen if the Parisians didn't qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League. European success, after all, is the main reason that this famously petulant player has stuck around for another year. It would make admittedly little sense if he decided to leave now, though.