Real Madrid Club wants signings but don't know when

January simply must provide solutions to Real Madrid's biggest problem; not the future of its coach or president, but rather its transfer market activity with at least one arrival thought to be essential for the remainder of the season to be a success.

Making movements in the window is not something that Los Blancos are squeamish about, as shown by their eagerness to sign Kylian Mbappe in the summer. While those within the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu were worried by the striker's lack of experience, it was instead his desire to stay in France that saw him snub the Spanish capital.

The search for such a quality player has since been hastened, thanks to Real's 14-point deficit in the LaLiga title race and their relative struggles to reach the Champions League last-16, a feat achieved albeit from second-place in their group.

Problems arise when deciding exactly who they would like to sign as some options, including Timo Werner, are cup-tied for European competition with those who aren't, such as Mauro Icardi, enjoying life as the star man at their current club and unlikely to be a constant starter in Madrid.

For example, would Icardi be worth the 120 million euro fee in January when he wouldn't have had the adaptation period that a summer arrival would afford?

The answer is fairly straightforward but the question doesn't go away as easily. Thus, Real are keen to sign a striker and, if the situation arises, a central defender, before January 31.

Transfer fees are however growing and Liverpool's 85m euro purchase of Southampton defender Virgil Van Dijk shows how askew the market currently is. With that in mind, how much would Daniel Levy demand for Harry Kane? More than the 222m euro record that Neymar commanded, that's for sure.

In recent years, Zinedine Zidane has focused on young signings such as Dani Ceballos and Vinicius, and while this tactic is to remain, there is the cash ready and waiting for Los Blancos to go and capture a ready made addition to boost the team.

Therein lies another issue. The team as it stands exists in relative harmony and enjoys the trust of its coach, and any threat to that may not be thought of as worth the risk.

It all leaves plenty to think about for those in charge at Real Madrid, with the clock ticking and the price tags rising. They may want to make a signing, they just don't know how or when.