Real Madrid’s loss to Benfica on Wednesday night was described as embarassing by Kylian Mbappe, and Jude Bellingham noted that he was lost for words at ‘another game like this’. As much as the comprehensive loss that they suffered hurt Los Blancos, the familiar nature of it was just as damaging.

A number of fingers of blame have been pointed this season, with injuries, the level of fitness of the Real Madrid squad and Xabi Alonso all footing the bill for Real Madrid’s struggles for this season. For the first time though, the gaze has turned inwards.

Real Madrid accept midfield plans have failed

With Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric all leaving the club in the space of three years, the backbone of their historic Champions League run of four victories in five years left with it. With Kroos and Modric still in the side, Los Blancos would secure another victory in 2024, but their two campaigns since, with one still to be completed, have looked a long way from their previous showings in Europe.

Cadena SER say that for the first time, the Real Madrid hierarchy, of which President Florentino Perez, General Manager Jose Angel Sanchez and Head Scout Juni Calafat are the faces, have accepted that their plans to substitute them have not worked. Previously the struggles of the players brought in to replace them were blamed on other factors – including Carlo Ancelotti and Alonso – but now with three managers struggling to get the performances from midfield they need, there is acceptance that their plan has not worked.

Jude Bellingham, Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga arrived to the tune of €238m, while Fede Valverde was also expected to step into a bigger role, yet none have become the dominant forces in the middle of the pitch expected, albeit the Bellingham has excelled further forward.

Real Madrid could do business in midfield in the summer

The upshot of this acknowledgement is that it could see Los Blancos go into the transfer market in the summer. The feeling at the club is that there is still a quality squad at Alvaro Arbeloa’s disposal, but the primary problem is in midfield. After the arrival of Xabi Alonso, Adam Wharton and Kees Smit were linked to the club, while Manchester City’s Rodri Hernandez has been a long-term target. On the other hand, Eduardo Camavinga has been linked with the exit door, as he continues to struggle to make his mark on the side.