The 10 Best Players Real Madrid Could Sign in the Summer 2026 Transfer Window

Madrid – Four months before the summer 2026 window opens, Real Madrid’s hierarchy are already drawing up contingency plans. A humiliating Copa del Rey exit to second-tier Albacete, a bruising cup-final loss to Barcelona, and the lingering hole left by the retirements of Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić have convinced the board that targeted, high-impact signings are non-negotiable if the club is to reclaim domestic and European supremacy. Below are the ten names atop the club’s early wish-list, compiled from internal scouting reports, agent soundings and rival-club briefings.

1. Ibrahima Konaté Status: Out of contract June 2026 The French centre-back is the headline free agent on the planet. Liverpool are scrambling to extend his deal, yet Madrid believe their track record with free-transfer defenders—David Alaba and Antonio Rüdiger delivered Champions League titles in 2021-22 and 2023-24—gives them an edge. At 26, Konaté is younger than both were on arrival and would immediately anchor a back line that has leaked goals in high-stakes matches.

2. Nico Schlotterbeck Club: Borussia Dortmund The left-footed German international divides opinion because of occasional lapses, but his ball progression, line-breaking passes and threat on set-pieces fit Madrid’s desire for a front-foot centre-back. Liverpool, ironically, are monitoring him as a potential replacement for Konaté.

3. Castello Lukeba Club: RB Leipzig The latest breakout from Leipzig’s centre-back factory, Lukeba excelled at Lyon before refining his game in the Bundesliga. Madrid view the 23-year-old as the closest analogue to a peak Éder Militão: elite in one-v-one duels, comfortable stepping into midfield, and athletically suited to handle Barcelona’s front three.

4. Vitinha Club: Paris Saint-Germain The 27-year-old Portuguese was Europe’s outstanding central midfielder in 2024-25 while driving PSG to a long-awaited Champions League crown. PSG have zero incentive to sell, and Madrid’s own reluctance to meet an astronomical valuation makes this the least probable deal on the list, but the club’s intermediaries continue to test the waters.

5. Fabián Ruiz Club: Paris Saint-Germain The Spanish left-footer has evolved into a box-to-box tempo-setter under Luis Enrique, adding goals from distance to his passing repertoire. Like Vitinha, he is technically off-limits, yet Madrid have kept a dossier since his Betis days and would pounce if PSG’s stance softens.

6. Nico Paz Club: Como (on loan from Real Madrid) The 21-year-old is the runaway best player in Serie A this season, powering Como toward European qualification. A €9 million buy-back clause is already activated, according to multiple Spanish outlets. The only debate inside Valdebebas is whether Paz walks straight into the XI or competes with Arda Güler and Franco Mastantuono.

7. Kees Smit Club: AZ Alkmaar Chief scout Juni Calafat is championing the 20-year-old Dutchman, who averages 1.6 key passes and 2.1 combined dribbles-plus-fouls-drawn per Eredivisie match. Raw but versatile, Smit could be groomed as the deep-lying playmaker Madrid have lacked since Kroos departed.

8. Adam Wharton Club: Crystal Palace The Premier League’s most coveted No. 6, Wharton has repeated his 2024-25 breakthrough amid Palace’s player exodus. Palace will demand close to €100 million, but Madrid see the 24-year-old Englishman as a ready-made starter who can pair with Aurélien Tchouameni and free up Jude Bellingham to push higher.

9. Enzo Fernández Club: Chelsea A World-Cup winner and the league’s most decisive defensive midfielder in the final third, Fernández has rebounded after a rocky start to his €121 million move. Chelsea insist he is untouchable, yet Madrid are monitoring every whisper of unrest and would explore a blockbuster swoop if the situation changes.

10. Erling Haaland Club: Manchester City The one that got away in 2022 when Madrid pivoted to Kylian Mbappé. Haaland’s subsequent treble and Premier League goal-record season only intensified Florentino Pérez’s quiet obsession. City consider him irreplaceable, but Madrid keep the line open, aware that the Norwegian owns property in Marbella and once came within hours of signing for the Bernabéu.

With Mbappé already in situ and a young core of Bellingham, Güler, Mastantuono and Valverde locked in, Madrid’s 2026 window could hinge on landing one marquee defender and one elite midfielder from this list. The pursuit starts now.