Real Madrid are setting the trends when it comes to spending big on players. The La Liga giants after a horrendous 2018-19 season have been busy this transfer window and have set their sights on bringing the best talents from across the world into the club. New coach Zinedine Zidane – on his second stint at the club – has already secured the services of Eden Hazard from Chelsea, while also signing “Japanese Messi” Takefusa Kubo from FC Tokyo. The Madrid club has already signed a considerable number of players for the upcoming 2019-20 football season and looks set to add some more players to their tank including few high-profile signings. Atletico Madrid Transfer News: Antoine Griezmann, Lucas Hernandez, Rodri & More in the Confirmed and Rumoured List of Footballers Exiting Rojiblancos.

The record 33-time La Liga champions finished third in the recently-concluded domestic season – reasonably low by their standards – and were knocked out of the Champions League quarter-finals by Ajax FC, prompting the club hierarchy to remove Santiago Solari and replace him with Zidane. Interestingly, Solari himself was promoted from his position as head coach of the Real Madrid B (Castilla) team after former Spain manager Julen Lopetegui was sacked owing to poor performances. Manchester City Target Rodri Informs the Spanish Football Club He Wants to Leave This Summer.

But Madrid has got their engine room up and ready for the next season with regular signings and most importantly influential signings. They are suspended from registering any players until July 1, but irrespective of that Madrid have already spent $340M (Rs 23.69B) making them already the third /18 highest spenders in any season. Barcelona with a record cash flow of $378M on players in 2017/18 leads the spending pack, while Manchester City with $355M (Rs 24.75B) in the same season are second in the list. Take a look at the five signings Real Madrid have made so far in the summer transfer window as they aim to bounce back on a high in world football.

Eden Hazard

The €100M man arrives from Chelsea after guiding the English Premier League side to their second Europa League title in six years. Eden Hazard has for long been a Madrid and Zinedine Zidane fan. He was set to join them last year until the Spanish club were hit by a transfer ban. But a year late wouldn’t be bad for both parties. The Belgian star has always been rated on the same level as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. He was termed as the best Premier League player after Ronaldo and with Zidane at Madrid, plus the hype of playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world football might just give Hazard the impetus needed for him to win the first Ballon d’Or of his career.

Luka Jovic

The 21-year-old striker has been rated highly by many football pundits in world football. Luka Jovic scored 27 goals in just 48 appearances for Eintracht Frankfurt in the concluded season guiding the club to Europa League semi-finals. He was on loan from Portuguese club Benfica where he was signed as a prodigious talent in 2015. The Serbian striker signed for 60 Million Euros and is expected to play second fiddle to Karim Benzema in his debut season at the club.

Eder Militao

Another 21-year-old signing but this a centre-back. With Sergio Ramos showing signs of vulnerability at the Madrid defence after years of top-level performance, Madrid brought in Brazilian Eder Militao for €50m (Rs 3.49B) even before the summer transfer window had started. The Porto centre-back, who can also play at right-back, was Zidane’s first signing after came back at the Santiago Bernabeu for a second stint.

Ferland Mendy

A left-back by trade, Ferland Mendy was signed from Lyon for 47.1 million pounds on a six-year contract. The Frenchmen, who came through the Le Havre academy, had made just 57 appearances for Lyon in 2017-2018 before Madrid pouched him up.

Rodrygo Silva de Goes

Teenage Brazilian striker Rodrygo signed for Real Madrid €45m from Brazil club Santos. The 18-year-old had made his debut for Santos at the age of 16 and has scored nine goals in 41 appearances for them. He has already represented Brazil in the U-17 and U-20 categories.

The Madrid club has also roped in Takefusa Kubo of Japan to play for their B team next season. The 18-year-old nicknamed “Japanese Messi” joined the La Liga giants from FC Tokyo for two million euros. He was earlier part of the Famed La Masia academy of club Barcelona but had to leave in 2015 after the Blaugrana were punished for breaking FIFA age guidelines When signing players.

They have also been linked to various other world class players like Paul Pogba and Christian Eriksen. Despite already making some world-class signings, Madrid are already in the market to bolster their squad.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 19, 2019 06:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).