Real Madrid's dream end to the January transfer window
One of football's long-held truisms is the lack of value in the January transfer window.
Real Madrid have been stung before by this accepted wisdom and have no intention of suffering again. Since signing the promising but wildly disappointing Brazilian Reinier for €30m (£26m) four years ago, Madrid have not made a single permanent transfer — ingoing or outgoing — in January.
Carlo Ancelotti also knows the pain that winter purchases can cause. The revered Italian was in charge of Chelsea when Fernando Torres joined from Liverpool for £50m back in 2011, comfortably one of the worst January switches in history.
While plenty in the Spanish capital may be wary, the debilitating slew of injuries suffered by the squad — including three ACL tears — may force Madrid to reluctantly wade into the winter window.
Real Madrid are the only club inside La Liga's top six to have failed to make a single move over the first three weeks of the winter window.
While Barcelona accelerated their acquisition of Brazilian striker Vitor Roque, Ancelotti's squad has remained untouched. Madrid did fork out north of £110m in the summer window — more than double Barcelona, the division's next biggest spenders — and have to adhere to La Liga's strict financial regulations, much to the outward disgust of president Florentino Perez.
However, there is still some scope for recruitment this month.
Ancelotti may have insisted that Real Madrid do not need to sign a new centre-back this winter but that was before Nacho Fernandez took to the field against Almeria.
Real Madrid's club captain started the match alongside Antonio Rudiger but was stewing on the bench by half-time, still in his full kit thinking back to the pair of goals he had handed to the only team
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