Profiling the 5 signings Real Madrid have made so far in this transfer window

#3 Ferland Mendy (£47m from Olympique Lyon)

FC Barcelona v Olympique Lyonnais - UEFA Champions League Round of 16: Second Leg

While only a handful of Real Madrid players can genuinely claim to have ended last season with their reputation intact, out of the many players who underperformed, perhaps the worst hit was Marcelo.

Over the last decade, the Brazilian international has cemented his reputation as unarguably the standout left-back in the world, helping Real Madrid to numerous trophies, with his bombarding runs forward and pin-point crossing playing a major role in all the successes enjoyed by the side.

However, last season saw an uncharacteristic dip in form by the 31-year-old, as he struggled to keep up pace with opposition attackers while he also saw a significant drop in his attacking output.

Indeed, his errors were so glaring that he was forced to issue a public apology to fans, while also apologizing to his teammates in private.

At a point last season, he lost his starting place to young upstart Sergi Reguilon and even though he was partially restored to the starting lineup by Zinedine Zidane upon the Frenchman's return, his performance levels did not significantly improve.

This is nothing unique, as having been at the top for so long, the law of diminishing returns suggests Marcelo has nowhere else to go but down.

Heading into next season, the left-back position is one that Real Madrid was keen to address and they have found the perfect solution in Ferland Mendy.

Just two years ago, the 24-year-old was playing in the second division of French football with Le Havre before joining Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyon in the summer of 2017.

Over the next two seasons, he performed significantly well for Les Gones and this convinced Perez to peruse his signature on a six-year contract.

The French international offers the same attacking verve Marcelo does (albeit on a significantly lower level) while offering more defensive stability than the Brazilian.