2024/2025 Liga F: Why these three signings could help Real Madrid challenge for the title

Since their inception four years ago, Real Madrid are yet to win a major football title.

Instead, they have had to watch historic rivals FC Barcelona win five consecutive titles by some distance too.

Could this be the year Las Blancas finally close the gap?

It’ll be a tough ask to break Barça’s impenetrable streak, but their transfer acquisitions could go a long way in helping them challenge at the top.

Olympics.com looks at three signings that could help Madrid do the almost impossible ahead of the 2024/2025 campaign…

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Melanie Leupolz (Midfield)

The signing of Melanie Leupolz is arguably the most important signing that Real Madrid have made this summer.

While they are most certainly not shy of options in midfield – Caroline Weir and Teresa Abelleira to name a few – Leupolz brings something to the squad that goes beyond her impact on the pitch alone.

The 30-year-old has a wealth of winning experience which could go a long way for a squad still seeking a major title. Leupolz comes from a successful four-year stint with Chelsea in England, where she became a four-time WSL champion, a three-time FA Cup winner, and victorious in the Community Shield and the Conti Cup.

Her honours extend to the international stage, too, where she was part of Germany’s Euro 2013 winning squad and their Olympic gold medal coup at Rio 2016.

Adding a bonafide winner is critical for any possible title charge – Leupolz will bring a cool, calm and collected energy into one of the most critical areas of the pitch.

She will equally be called upon to lead by example, as she has done throughout her career, guiding the more inexperienced players on and off the pitch.

Eva Navarro (Forward)

At 23, Eva Navarro is among one of the most exciting forward talents in the game and it will be up to Madrid to tap into her potential.

She joins from city rivals Atletico, where she spent two years honing her craft before making the switch. In recent years, Navarro has struggled with injuries, including a season-ending ACL in 2021 which required surgery.

But since returning, she has gone from strength to strength, evening scoring a crucial penalty in the shootout of the 2023 Copa de la Reina, which Atletico won.

Now with Real, she has the chance to really make her mark on Spanish football. Coming into a squad with plenty of attacking talent, including the likes of Linda Caicedo, Alba Redondo, and Signe Brune, she will have no choice but to.

A player who is eager to push her own limits, while inspiring her fellow forwards to reach their best too, can only be a win for Las Blancas.

Filippa Angeldahl (Midfielder)

Swedish international Filippa Angeldahl was among the much-needed reinforcements in the middle of the pitch. Much like the aforementioned Leupolz, she joins from the English league where she spent three years with Manchester City.

At 27, Angeldal is on the precipice of her prime, meaning Madrid could be ready to reap the rewards of her best years.

With well over 50 appearances for the Swedish national team, she brings both domestic and international experience to the squad – something the Madrid side had been lacking since their inception.

In her own words, she is the kind of midfielder who likes to have a lot of the ball and create goal-scoring opportunities for her teammates. But she equally is a physical presence in the middle, unafraid of getting stuck in.

To challenge Barça for the title is an uphill task, but going toe-to-toe with an opposing midfield that boasts the likes of Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas is a good start.