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You know the business model by now. You've grown accustomed to it, always ready for its unique brand of football-meets-commerce-meets-entertainment. It's existed for almost two decades since its inception at the beginning of the century; on and off in its execution, yes, but always there in concept: stars, tournament sensations, Galacticos, Galacticos managing Galacticos, fanfare, colossal spending.

It's a method that has transported Real Madrid into their own world for much of president Florentino Perez's reign. At times it's been compelling; at others, tiresome.

But throughout, the knock on the club has never wavered: Real Madrid don't plan. Real Madrid don't build. Real Madrid don't have a model—the football sort.

And yet, weirdly, right now they sort of do.

On the surface, this has been an unusually quiet summer at the Santiago Bernabeu. There are several causes for it, but look beyond the high-profile exterior and you'll find ongoing, astute planning on another level.

In early July, Real Madrid completed the signing of highly rated 18-year-old forward Sergio Diaz. Likened to a young Sergio Aguero—admittedly, such comparisons should always be treated with caution—the Paraguayan will join the club's Castilla squad for the upcoming season, as will coveted Uruguayan midfielder Federico Valverde, who joined the club this week.

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The two signings represent the continuation of talent stockpiling by Madrid. There have been others at youth level, too, and they come on the back of deals in 2015 for emerging stars at senior level: Marco Asensio, Jesus Vallejo and Mateo Kovacic.

No plan? Sometimes, in some ways, no. But in this case, there is.

Real Madrid have become a contradiction.

A look at Madrid's transfer activity in recent years reveals that youth is a key focus, a future squad clearly being built. Or at least the framework for one, along with some sellable assets.

Like Martin Odegaard before them, Diaz and Valverde are significant additions in youth-level terms, the money spent notable, the profile of the players high for their age. At the level above, meanwhile, a similar theme has been evident.

Since 2013, Madrid have either signed or re-signed this bunch: Gareth Bale, Isco, Dani Carvajal, Casemiro, Asier Illarramendi, James Rodriguez, Toni Kroos, Lucas Silva, Keylor Navas, Danilo, Kovacic, Kiko Casilla, Lucas Vazquez, Vallejo, Asensio, and, mostly recently, Alvaro Morata.

Not all of them are still in place, but most are. And at the time of their arrival, 14 of the 16 have been 24 years of age or less, some still in their teens like Vallejo and Asensio—two of the best at their age in Spain.

The only exceptions are the two goalkeepers.

Such a process is significant for the simple fact that it refutes the common perception that Madrid are shambolic in an institutional sense. Summer after summer, season after season, such accusations are consistently thrown at Perez and his regime, particularly at times of managerial turnover and upheaval of the established core.

No one will deny that those events are problematically frequent, and the wider perception of Madrid does hold many truths. But it's not the whole truth.

This summer's continuation of background planning proves it, even if there are additional factors at play.

The obvious one, of course, is Real Madrid have known for some time that a transfer ban is looming.

While the official announcement of such came in January—it has been suspended since but will almost certainly be imposed in due course—the club were aware investigations had opened 12 months earlier. There's a clear drive, then, to prepare and reinforce, to stock up while they can.

"The same as filling a nuclear shelter with water and biscuits," wrote AS editor Alfredo Relano.

But that's not all.

This summer, one senses there's been a simple but significant realisation made in the Spanish capital. Even if the club knew it before, Euro 2016 confirmed for Madrid that they already possess the best that's available to them; the tournament standouts were already theirs.

Kroos ran the midfield for Germany. Luka Modric was typically brilliant for Croatia. Bale led an historic run for Wales. Pepe was a defensive rock for Portugal. Morata led the scoring for Spain. And though his campaign was mixed on a personal level, Cristiano Ronaldo is, well, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Around them, Madrid's supposed targets underwhelmed in France. Paul Pogba struggled for the hosts, perhaps hinting that there are no guarantees even at that price. Robert Lewandowski didn't hit the heights expected, either.

It left Madrid's squad to look not just impressive but something bordering on maxed out. Ronaldo, Bale, Karim Benzema, Modric, Kroos, James, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Carvajal, Marcelo, Navas and more: Where do you go from there?

"I am content with the squad we have," manager Zinedine Zidane told a press conference earlier this month. "It's difficult to improve on it."

He's right. It is.

And it's left Madrid to focus elsewhere, continuing their stockpiling of young talent—the benefits of which are multidimensional.

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In possessing such a vast array of emerging talent at different levels of development, Madrid have the makings of a future squad that will have a nice blend of ages and experience within it.

In that, Asensio, an athletic sort of No. 10, is the one to watch most closely. Vallejo also has immense potential at centre-back, while Kovacic's more immediate progression should be fascinating.

As for the Castilla additions, they'll require time to settle, but the promise is there. And in following the likes of Morata, Jese and Vazquez, Borja Mayoral and his ongoing rise suggests Madrid are getting something right here.

The knock-on effect of this talent acquisition and cultivation is that even peripheral parts of the club's senior squad remain strong. Vazquez, for instance, is a Spain international but started less than a third of Madrid's league games last season; Jese is an explosive forward but saw even less; Kovacic would start in most teams in Europe.

In turn, that impressive depth and those who comprise it interest other clubs who can offer first-team football right away. Madrid have shown they're happy to let players go to such suitors, but their strength in numbers in comparison with many others gives them a strong position in negotiations.

Rival clubs deal on Madrid's terms.

The result is the growing number of beneficial buy-back clauses inserted into deals that are reluctantly accepted by rivals. These clauses allow Madrid to see their players develop elsewhere, and if successful, bring them back at a price well below market value, given that the fees are fixed amid the market's rapid inflation.

Illustrating the point, Carvajal—one of the world's best right-backs—cost the Bernabeu outfit just €6.5 million. Vazquez cost them €1 million. Now the latest is Morata, who, having returned from Juventus, is worth anything up to €60 million.

The price for Madrid, though? Half of that, a deal that might quietly be the best of the summer; a deal that completes the picture of this particular plan.

Yep, a plan: Madrid have one, even if it often seems that they don't.

Follow @TimDCollins