5 players Real Madrid should have targeted in January

There's a famous statement that was once made by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez regarding the January transfer window. He had said, "Making signings in the winter is a symptom of weakness." It was made in the early 2000s when Real Madrid were not known for signing reinforcements in the winter.

That period seems to have returned in the Spanish capital as the just concluded transfer market saw Real Madrid not being active whatsoever and hence adding a grand total of 0 fresh faces to the new squad. In any other campaign, this would not have made such a big issue considering the terrorizing form that Madrid were in in the recent past.

But this season is different. And more worryingly, the month of January was the worst possible period for Zinedine Zidane. His side crashed out of the Copa Del Rey against Leganes and are now fighting for just a top four place in the league. In such a scenario, Real Madrid should have delved into the market and worked out some solutions in the form of fresh recruitments.

On that note, here are five such players who Real Madrid should have targeted last month in order to get them out of the rut that they find themselves in:

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#5 Milan Skriniar (Inter Milan)

Skriniar has the potential to be Real Madrid's no.1 centre back

Real Madrid's defence has looked a lot weaker since the beginning of the season. Injuries to Sergio Ramos and Dani Carvajal and the indifferent form of Marcelo has not helped the cause. Hence, making a move for one of the most sought-after defenders in Europe might have solved some of their issues for this season and also for the foreseeable future.

Milan Skriniar has earned plaudits for his performances at the San Siro this season, starting every league game for Inter. The 22-year-old loves to play out from the back and has a higher passing accuracy (91.6%) than any Real Madrid defender. He is also a threat during set pieces and has already scored four goals this season.

Add it to the fact that the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City are monitoring the central defender is evidence to the fact that Skriniar is on the radar of almost every top club in the world. The Slovakian international is expected to change colours in the summer as Madrid seem to have missed a trick by not making a move for him in January.

#4 Alvaro Odriozola (Real Sociedad)

Odriozola was an upgrade on Achraf Hakimi

At the beginning of the season, when Dani Carvajal was out with a medical condition, Real Madrid's soft defensive underbelly was badly exposed. Castilla product Achraf Hakimi was straightway thrown into the ring and though he looks talented, Hakimi does not seem prepared, at the moment, to be playing for Real Madrid.

Real Madrid need a solid youthful deputy for Dani Carvajal who can challenge the Spaniard for the no.1 spot and also take over from him in the future. Madrid did not have to look elsewhere than La Liga for one such right back. Alvaro Odriozola of Real Sociedad is a player who could have solved Madrid's problems to some extent.

The 22-year-old is considered by many as the next big thing to emerge from the league and is expected to play at a bigger club sooner rather than later. Odriozola has an eye for a pass, is confident on the ball but at the same time, he is defensively strong with his positioning often helping out Sociedad in crunch moments.

Odriozola would have definitely been an upgrade on Hakimi and might have even challenged Carvajal for a starting berth.

#3 Timo Werner (RB Leipzig)

Timo Werner could have provided Real Madrid much-needed directness

Real Madrid's success in the recent past was based on their clinical finishing and their attacking prowess. Though the players that did it in the past are still there at the club, they seem to have lost a bit of confidence and sharpness this time around.

In the current campaign, Real Madrid have failed to finish a high number of chances and that is partly due to the fact that apart from Cristiano Ronaldo, no other player has looked worthy of sharing the workload with the Portuguese talisman. This is why signing a goalscoring threat should have been a priority for Real Madrid in January.

And the player they should have targeted is Timo Werner. The Leipzig forward has been in sensational form since the past couple of seasons and is currently the second best striker in the Bundesliga. Werner scored 21 goals last season and is on course to beat the record with 15 goals already to his name this season.

If a substantial bid had been made, RB Leipzig might have parted ways with the 21-year-old. Werner guarantees you goals, his directness whether playing in the middle or on the left may have given Madrid that X-factor going forward to salvage some pride in the remainder of the season.

#2 Kepa Arrizabalaga (Athletic Bilbao)

Kepa should have been signed by the Madrid hierarchy last month

The decision not to sign Kepa Arrizabalaga in January is set to haunt Real Madrid in the coming years. A deal was supposedly in place for Madrid to sign the highly rated custodian from Athletic Bilbao.

But Zinedine Zidane's side backed out at the last moment and subsequently, Kepa signed a new long-term deal with Bilbao. He had a paltry release clause of €20 million in January which is essentially peanuts in today's market. Real Madrid really did miss a trick by opting not to sign the future Spanish no.1 last month.

There have been talks around the club that the management is not happy with the form of Keylor Navas who they feel is not at the same level since his injury. This was the reason why Real Madrid were linked with David De Gea and Thibaut Courtois for the entire month of January.

Despite needing a goalkeeper and having one willing to join for a low transfer fee, Real Madrid opted not to sign Kepa Arrizabalaga. Los Blancos might need to spend a big amount in the summer to rope in a goalkeeper.

#1 Mauro Icardi (Inter Milan)

Icardi would have been a perfect January signing for Real Madrid

Where should we start on Karim Benzema? Often made the scapegoat for Real Madrid's struggles, Benzema has truly struggled for form this season. He has not been threatening in front of goal and his ability to bring others into play has also not been great either.

The decision to keep faith in the Frenchman has baffled many and hence, bringing in a striker should have been the top priority for Real Madrid. And who better at the moment than Mauro Icardi! The Argentinian is in the form of his life and with 18 league goals to his name already, Icardi has more league goals than the BBC combined.

Icardi is a clinical finisher - exactly the kind of player that Madrid were crying out for. He was also ready to join them in January with Jorge Sampaoli, Argentina's manager claiming that the striker was tempted by Madrid's interest. But the Spanish side never made any concrete bid for the striker who could have solved their biggest issue at the moment - a player who could score goals in crunch situations.