Real Madrid’s $240 million waiting game
Last summer, Real Madrid spent big on four exciting young prospects - and none has yet made himself indispensable to the cause.
Four signings, four major young talents. And not one of them has made himself indispensable at Real Madrid. Not yet, at least. Dean Huijsen, Álvaro Carreras, Javier Mastantuono and Endrick. A quartet of recent signings that have promise - undeniable promise - but have not kicked the door down. Not so far. That much is obvious. None of them has established himself as a nailed-on starter whenever he’s fit.
Not picked for Real Madrid’s biggest night
The acid test came at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday: the first three were substitutes. On a night when the season was on the line, none of them was in Madrid’s starting XI. The club believes in them as future pillars of the first team, but the present reality is clear: an investment of some $240 million has, so far, not produced the desired impact.
They are all very, very young. Mastantuono is 18, Huijsen 21, Carreras 23. Players who have only just taken their first real steps at the top level - and straight into Real Madrid, no less. These are long‑term bets. Proof of that lies in their contracts, all of which run at least through the summer of 2030. The club is willing to wait, to refine them day by day. But the present is unforgiving at the most demanding soccer club in the world. When the biggest battles arrive, the best players play. They are required. And right now, these names are not part of that group.
Yet to kick the door down
Against Bayern Munich, Ferland Mendy was chosen ahead of Carreras, and Éder Militão ahead of Huijsen. Two decisions that had little to do with possible lack of match rhythm. It was also telling that Madrid’s head coach, Álvaro Arbeloa, made just one substitution before the 90th minute and finished the match having used only three in total. Los Blancos’ bench will undergo a review this summer, in line with the squad. But that is another discussion. As for the three signings from last summer, it’s been piano piano. They have not yet kicked the door down.
And that’s despite the massive outlay involved, underlining the faith placed in them. Huijsen is the most expensive defender in Real Madrid’s entire history ($68 million). Carreras is also the most expensive fullback the club has ever signed ($58 million), costing the same as Militão and placing him alongside him as the second‑most expensive defender on the scale. Mastantuono, meanwhile, commanded the largest fee of all, at about $75 million.
Mastantanuono’s case, in particular, is striking: he has played just 76 minutes across Real Madrid’s last 15 matches. A complete 180‑degree turn. He started five of Arbeloa’s first six games. And right there, he vanished. A mix of lost confidence and Brahim Díaz’s emergence pushed him into obscurity. Together, the three players cost about $200 million. An enormous sum. As enormous as the expectations invested in their football. In their boots.
Add Endrick ($40 million) to the equation, and you get the full quartet of signings that has yet to kick the door down at Real Madrid. A total of roughly $240 million invested in four players expected to be far more than they currently are. Calm. Patience. Work. With Endrick, who joined French club Lyon on a six-month loan deal in December, there is real excitement heading into next season: he and Nico Paz will effectively be the club’s first “signings” of the summer.
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