Real have superstar players and a superstar coach – and it may all have come together at the perfect time for them to extend their rule of European football.
Barcelona, stung by watching Real win La Liga and the Champions League, are currently in a period of transition.
Ernesto Valverde, formerly of Athletic Bilbao, has replaced Luis Enrique as manager, and will be under orders to reverse the current trend.
Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez represent a world-class attacking trio but this is a side in need of renewal.
There is still an over-reliance on the Argentine while the great midfielder and leader Andres Iniesta is now 33 and will soon have to be replaced.
In this environment, Real can be guaranteed to be ruthless when it comes to squad strengthening.
Zidane swatted away questions about Bale’s future but, as Sir Alex Ferguson once said about Manchester United, this is a bus that waits for no-one.
The likes of Morata and, far more likely, Rodriguez will go but Real are already being ominously linked with the sort of talent that will add even further lustre to this great side.
Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea is consistently linked with a return to Madrid, this time with Real, while they are already in pole position to sign the prodigy with all the gifts to be a “Galactico” of the future, Monaco’s 18-year-old France forward Kylian Mbappe.
Mbappe may well cost a world-record transfer fee – but Real have never blinked in the face of that before and in the afterglow of yet another Champions League triumph they will want to strike another footballing and psychological blow to those they consider their closest rivals.
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