Real Madrid should add Lille wonderkid Leny Yoro to star-studded squad after Kylian Mbappe's arrival: Los Blancos' summer transfer window likely ins and outs

Are there really any?! The big hole in Los Blancos' team was supposed to be at striker, but last season Carlo Ancelotti pieced together an effective attacking system that meant his side didn't really need the rampant No.9 that everyone believed they were missing.

Instead, this is more of a case of fine tuning, with one eye on the future. Los Blancos' centre-back corps is fine, but will likely need to be strengthened. Eder Militao is a guaranteed starter, but his injury record has to be called into question. Meanwhile, David Alaba is coming off a torn ACL, and Toni Rudiger isn't getting any younger. Nacho, should he even stay, doesn't inspire confidence, either.

There are also concerns at left-back. Ferland Mendy enjoyed a strong end to the season, but there's certainly room for upgrade there. Whether an immediate replacement needs to be sought for the retiring Toni Kroos in midfield is a question some are asking, too.

The rumour mill is relatively quiet in the Spanish capital, which is a rarity given the size of the club. However, a few names have been thrown around.

Top of Madrid's wishlist is reportedly Lille centre-back Leny Yoro. The 18-year-old was tipped as a bolter for France's Euro 2024 squad after an impressive season in Ligue 1, and having been likened to William Saliba, has the potential to become one of the best centre-backs in European football.

Also mentioned on a consistent basis is Alphonso Davies. The reportedly disgruntled Bayern Munich full-back is out of contract at the end of next season, and with no apparent movement on a new deal, has constantly been linked with Los Blancos. He would certainly seem to be an upgrade on Mendy.

A name that won't go away when it comes to Madrid's transfer business, meanwhile, is that of Trent Alexander-Arnold. Like Davies, the Liverpool full-back is set to enter the final year of his contract in the coming weeks, and there is a belief at the Bernabeu that he could be tempted away from Anfield this summer.

It's also worth looking out for Franco Mastantuono in relation to Madrid this summer. The River Plate youngster has been tabbed as one of Argentina's next great talents, and has already drawn the watchful eye of Madrid's iconic South American scout, Juan Calafat.

Of those being linked, Yoro would seem to be the ideal acquisition. The centre-back is young, talented, and has enough top-flight experience - albeit in the weakest of Europe's top-five leagues - to work his way into Madrid team eventually.

His acquisition would also be very much in line with Los Blancos' recent transfer activity. A look at their recent history - Mbappe aside - shows that Madrid have invested big on young talent, and steadily bedded them into the line up. Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo are perhaps the two best examples, and Yoro could be next.

Lille have made it clear that they will demand a big fee, around €59 million (£50m/$64m), for the teenager, who has also been linked with Liverpool. But Madrid usually have the financial means to make things happen, and the fact that Yoro was in attendance at the Champions League final has only further fuelled reports of him joining the club.

The big loss is Kroos, who announced in May that he will retire from football after Euro 2024. His departure came perhaps slightly earlier than many expected, especially given the quality of his performances this year, and he will certainly be missed.

In terms of confirmed departures, the only other definite player on the way out is Kepa Arrizabalaga, who will return to Chelsea with his loan deal up.

Outside of that, there are few players looking for exits. Dani Ceballos, whose involvement nosedived this season, would perhaps be wise to seek regular football elsewhere, while back-up goalkeeper Andriy Lunin proved he could be worthy of a starting role elsewhere after deputising excellently for Thibaut Courtois. Club-captain Nacho, meanwhile, is yet to address questions regarding his future despite his contract being up this summer.

There also remains the issue of Rodrygo's future. The Brazilian has insisted that he wants to stay at Madrid, but he profiles as the likely casualty from the line up of Mbappe's arrival, and Manchester City are said to be monitoring the forward's situation.

Outside of the usual slew of promising youth talents who could do with a loan move away, there are very few first teamers who could depart Madrid on a temporary basis. Nico Paz is perhaps the only one, with the promising attacking midfielder likely in need of more minutes to continue his development.

Ancelotti, for his part, has insisted that neither Endrick nor Arda Guler will leave on loan, with the teenage duo likely to be key contributors off the bench in 2024-25.

The main question surrounding Madrid's line up next season is what Ancelotti's chosen formation will be. The Italian utilised an immensely effective 4-3-1-2 system in 2023-24, with Bellingham expertly used as a false nine. Mbappe's arrival could change things, and will likely either require a new system or for a starter to accept a bench role.

The simplest move would be to revert to a 4-3-3, with Mbappe through the middle, Rodrygo on the right and Vinicius on the left, with Bellingham dropping into a deeper midfield position. Ancelotti might also elect to stick with the same system, and bench Rodrygo in favour of his new signing.

Real Madrid 2024-25 (4-3-1-2): Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Davies; Valverde, Camavinga, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Mbappe, Vinicius.