It was an interesting summer for Real Madrid. Mourinho made a number of interesting, perhaps even strange signings to bolster the side which finished second best last season. The newcomers this season are: Nuri Sahin, Fabio Coentrao, Hamit Altintop, Jose Callejon and Raphael Varane. They may not be the household names that Madridistas are used to since the Galactico era, but they represent astute additions to an already great squad.

Let’s start off with the Turk, Nuri Sahin. He made a name for himself last season, capping off a sensational year with Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund. Dortmund blazed a trail with Sahin controlling their midfield and tempo, and their youthful side obliterated big names like Bayern Munich on their way to glory. Sahin was in the last year of his contract, and joined Madrid for a rather meager 10 million Euros. He’s a deep-lying playmaker in the mold of Bastian Schweinsteiger, and tends to sit back and launch quick forays forward for counterattacks- quite a tool in the hands of Mourinho’s Madrid. The unfortunate part is that his knee injury will keep him out till November, as he could have been a starter for Real from the very beginning (taking Khedira’s place).

Fabio Coentrao was a curious transfer. A left wingback by trade, he was brought in for around 30 million Euros, quite a sum to pay for a player who apparently plays at the same position as Marcelo - a player who has improved by leaps and bounds in the last season. But if preseason is anything to go by, Coentrao can seemingly play anywhere! He played in Khedira’s defensive, box-to-box role over two legs against Barcelona, and his energy was a sight to behold. He did extremely well in the wings too against LA Galaxy, in Di Maria’s role. One suspects that Mourinho bought him as a high quality squad player, to plug any holes he sees in the squad.

Jose Callejon is a forward (more like a winger) who joined Madrid from Espanyol for an undisclosed sum of money. He is a graduate from the Madrid youth academy, and represents the biggest paradigm shift in Real Madrid’s transfer policy. Callejon grew up in the club, and should slot in easily, but would a young player (who plied his trade for Espanyol last season) find any place in the current squad? The answer would not be in the affirmative, but he did get a number of sub appearances during preseason. He’s one to look out for, while he gets phased in.

Having Zinedine Zidane as your club ambassador (and current director) certainly has its perks. He almost single-handedly scouted and completed the transfer of central defensive wonderkid, Raphael Varane - right out of the clutches of both Manchester clubs! He is famed for his reading of the game, and should be phased into the team as Ricky Carvalho’s legs become slower.

Lastly, Hamit Altintop was brought in on a free transfer from Bayern Munich. His is an exception to the trend of young signings that Real Madrid has focused on this season, and he has also arrived injured. However, Madrid has hedged its bets on him by getting him without any fee. He can be the ultimate squad player, as he has no fixed position. He would be a solid option to turn to in any particularly congested set of fixtures, or if the squad’s stars need a breather from the rigors of the season.

All in all, Mourinho and Madrid have both played against type by investing in a strong squad, as opposed to a Galactico here and there. This team will only get better as it plays together, and Madridistas can hope for a lot from them soon enough. Hala Madrid!