Soccer 365’s football journalist Jerrad Peters takes your question on what Real Madrid will look like in the 2009/10 campaign.

By Jerrad Peters

Every superstar player seems to be linked to Real Madrid this summer. What will the team actually look like next season?
-Flynn, Newmarket

Nothing changes the international football landscape as much as Real Madrid going 12 months without silverware. This is especially true when the club’s membership is engaged in a presidential election. Both sets of circumstances overlapped in the Spanish capital this spring, and incoming president Florentino Perez can be expected to overhaul the club’s lineup, whatever the cost.

That cost could be as much as $430 million. Perez pledged to spend as much while campaigning for the position he held from 2000 to 2006. He has already drawn up a list of transfer targets that includes, among others, Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo, Franck Ribery, Xabi Alonso, David Villa, Raul Albiol and Juan Mata.

That he secures even three or four of those names is not out of the question. Don’t forget, when Perez replaced Lorenzo Sanz nine years ago, he did so on a platform that promised the arrival of Luis Figo from archrivals Barcelona. Everyone scoffed at him then, but within a few weeks he had set a new world transfer record to bring the Portuguese maestro to the Bernabeu.

Perez was just beginning. Over the next few seasons, he dropped no less than $370 million on Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, David Beckham, Robinho, Sergio Ramos, Cicinho, Antonio Cassano, Michael Owen, Thomas Gravesen, Jonathan Woodgate and Julio Baptista.

In other words, he’s done it before and he’ll probably do it again.

In fact, Perez has already laid the groundwork for a brand new regime at Real Madrid. Jorge Valdano, Manuel Redondo and Miguel Pardeza have already been added to the front office. Valdano—an author and former Argentina international—has been appointed vice-president and will have the final say in all player acquisitions. Pardeza—the sporting director—will oversee the day-to-day operations of the squad and recommend potential signings to Valdano. Redondo will manage the president’s office.

Perez has hired the coaching staff as well. Former Villarreal manager Manuel Pellegrini will replace Juande Ramos as head coach, and Marcos Alvarez—formerly of Sevilla and Tottenham Hotspur—will work as his assistant.

Perhaps most intriguing was the appointment of Zinedine Zidane as a special “advisor” to the president. Once rumored to be in the running for the sporting director’s position, the Frenchman opted instead for a consulting role as he transitions from the pitch to the boxes.

On the field, Madrid’s bloated squad will be trimmed by approximately 10 players to make way for a handful of new signings. Perez admitted as much this week, and also confirmed his interest in Kaka and Ronaldo. Acquiring both would be a stretch, but it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see the 62-year-old secure one of them before September.

The departure of Rafael van der Vaart wouldn’t come as a shock, either. The Dutchman struggled in his first campaign at Madrid, and Perez will surely be tempted to cash in on him before his value depletes further. Gabriel Heinze has been mentioned as a possible make-weight in a deal for Xabi Alonso, and the unpopular Guti will probably be shown the door as well. Even Wesley Sneijder isn’t safe.

Come August and the start of the Primera Liga schedule, Real Madrid will be mostly unchanged at the back. Iker Casillas will remain between the posts, and Sergio Ramos and Christoph Metzelder will remain in their positions. Pepe is a question mark and will probably struggle to get into the lineup if Perez is successful in signing Albiol. The president will also have to go after a left-back, unless he feels one of Marcelo and Royston Drenthe can nail down the spot.

Up front, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Raul and returning top-scorer Gonzalo Higuain will remain in the reckoning, although David Villa will claim a consistent starting place should he join Madrid from Valencia. Ruud van Nistelrooy—injured much of the past season—will probably be off-loaded.

It’s in the midfield that most of the tinkering will occur. At this point, only Fernando Gago is assured of his place. Perez will try to sell both van der Vaart and Sneijder, and Mahamadou Diarra could wind up an excess to requirements as well.

Perez’ ideal midfield would consist of Gago in a defensive role and Ribery and Ronaldo supporting Kaka in a diamond formation. Ribery will be the easiest of the three to sign, and can play in either wing position or at the head of the diamond.

At the end of the day, Perez would probably settle for three world-class signings—one for each third of the park. Ribery’s arrival seeme imminent, and one of Kaka and Ronaldo would complete a decent transfer period for the president and fulfill his campaign promises.

If he is successful in acquiring each player on his list and establishing a “neo-Galactico” era, next year’s Real Madrid could line up as follows:

Casillas, Ramos, Albiol, Metzelder, Drenthe, Gago, Alonso, Kaka, Ribery, Huntelaar, Villa.

A more plausible squad, however, would consist of:

Casillas, Ramos, Albiol, Metzelder, Drenthe, Gago, Diarra, Robben, Ribery, Huntelaar, Villa.

Have a question about football? Email your query to jerradpeters@gmail.com. You can also subscribe to his Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/peterssoccer.