Real Madrid look set to close out another quiet winter transfer window, with the club reportedly deciding against any late-market reinforcements despite an underwhelming first half of the 2025/26 season.
A report relayed from Diario AS claims the Spanish giants consider their January business “done,” and that Endrick’s loan move to Olympique Lyon is expected to be the only deal—incoming or outgoing—before the window shuts.
A familiar January stance at the Bernabéu
If the report holds, it will extend a pattern that has defined Real Madrid’s mid-season strategy in recent years: avoid January signings unless absolutely necessary.
Notably, the last time Madrid completed a winter-window signing was in January 2019, when Brahim Díaz arrived from Manchester City. Since then, the club have repeatedly leaned on internal solutions—whether that means trusting the existing squad, promoting from within, or simply waiting until summer to address gaps.
Deadline day timing
The timing is also important. According to ESPN’s transfer-window rundown, La Liga’s January 2026 window closes on Monday, February 2, 2026 (22:59 GMT)—which is 23:59 in Spain (CET) and also 23:59 in Nigeria (WAT).
Why Madrid believe they can still win big
The logic from the club side is straightforward: they believe the current group is strong enough to push for La Liga and the Champions League, even after setbacks and inconsistent performances.
But that belief is being tested. Madrid’s recent 4–2 defeat to Benfica highlighted familiar issues—especially in controlling games and protecting the back line when momentum swings.
The summer plan is already forming
While January looks like a non-starter, the same report indicates Madrid have already mapped out priorities for the summer—a new central defender and a midfielder are positions being monitored to refresh and rebalance the squad.
That’s where the gamble lies: if performances don’t improve quickly, supporters may argue the problems were obvious enough to justify action now, not later.
Will they regret standing still?
Madrid have the talent to recover—few squads in Europe have more match-winners—but the risk is that recurring structural issues (defensive stability, control in midfield, consistency over 90 minutes) don’t solve themselves just because the calendar flips to February.
If the season ends without major silverware, the lack of January “fresh blood” will become an easy target. If they turn it around and win, the club will point to patience and internal trust as the winning formula—again.
