Real Madrid winning the Champions League last season was a scary prospect for Europe's biggest clubs.

Why? Well, because they managed to achieve it all in the middle of what can only be described as a transitionary period at the Bernabeu as they evolve from Zinedine Zidane's omnipotent side into a different beast entirely.

Los Blancos' 14th European Cup triumph might well have been spearheaded by the individual brilliance of world-class stars like Karim Benzema, but it was also accomplished within the context of an ageing midfield three and a manager not hired for the long term.

Evolution at Real Madrid

Now, while that might all sound negative, we mean it in the most positive way imaginable because it's to say that if Real could achieve all that while they're still going through growing pains, then it's a terrifying omen for what's to come when Real fully evolve.

It sounds dramatic, doesn't it? But rest assured that it's very much the truth because all roads lead to the Real boardroom executing one of the most finely planned transitions from top side to top side that we've seen this century.

With a relative smoothness akin to Sir Alex Ferguson's time at Manchester United, albeit not without its bumps along the way, the Spanish giants are undergoing a metamorphosis that could well see them emerge as Champions League three-peat winners all over again in the future.

What changes have Real already made?

And the foundations have already been laid.

It's already dawning on fans that the purchases of Aurélien Tchouaméni, 22, and Eduardo Camavinga, 19, in particular hailed a new era where the trio of Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric could be phased out as bloodlessly as possible.

Nevertheless, for all the brilliant work that Ancelotti is doing at the Bernabeu, Madridistas aren't under illusion that the evolution has been completed just yet because there are still some crucial handovers to oversee.

Soccer Football - LaLiga - Celta Vigo v Real Madrid - Estadio de Balaidos, Vigo, Spain - August 20, 2022 Real Madrid's Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni react REUTERS/Isabel Infantes

Real's frightening potential XI in 2024

And that's what we're here to look at today, because we're bringing European clubs the bad news that Real's starting XI in 2024 looks set to be so scary that they could start churning out Champions League titles like the Zidane days all over again.

Don't believe us? Well then, be sure to check out the line-up for yourselves down below because it just goes to show that we're pretty much only 18 months away from Real looking like the best men's team in the world:

Now if that's not disconcerting, then we don't know what is, but it's just speculative transfer shouts from us that won't actually happen in reality, right? Right?? Right???

Could Real sign Mbappe?

Well, apologies, because the Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham calls are starting to feel more and more realistic by the day and they would, of course, see about the replacement of Benzema as well as the completion of a new front three.

Every man and their dog knows that Mbappe has been dreaming of a Real move one day and although he caught everybody out by re-signing with Paris Saint-Germain this summer, it's still early days considering he's just 23 years old.

And it was by no means a long-term renewal with the Daily Mail carrying a report from L'Equipe in September that Mbappe's deal only actually runs until 2024 and that the advertised 2025 merely defines an optional extra year.

Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Paris St Germain v Metz - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - May 21, 2022 Paris St Germain's Kylian Mbappe poses for a photo with Paris St Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi after signing a new contract REUTERS/Christian Hartmann

So, considering that Mbappe would therefore be entering the final year of his contract in just a few months' time and bearing in mind the crazy cash that Florentino Perez was willing to stump up for him this summer, there's a very good chance that they could finally come together in 2024.

Could Real sign Bellingham?

And a certain Mr. Bellingham could be one of the first players to greet him because amidst a growing acceptance that every European club with any cash at all will be bidding for him next year, Real's name just keeps on coming up.

That's especially the case when you consider that Spanish newspaper Marca reported on Thursday that the club is increasingly convinced that Bellingham is the player they need and that they can afford his €100 million asking price.

The groundwork was said to have been laid as long as a year ago and that negotiations have now progressed to the point of talking numbers, so don't be surprised if Los Blancos do indeed win the race for his signature.

Soccer Football - Champions League - Group G - Manchester City v Borussia Dortmund - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - September 14, 2022 Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Craig Brough

What other changes could Real make?

Meanwhile, throwing Benjamin Pavard's name out there is a little more speculative, but it's also realistic when you consider that his current Bayern Munich deal runs out in 2024 and that he has been linked with Real in the past.

Either way, right-back was one of the other key areas that stood out to us as a position of improvement for Perez to focus on in the coming year as part of this frightening evolution.

Even scarier, though, is the fact that Federico Valverde had to be left on the bench despite arguably being Real's best player this season and that none other than Benzema, then 36, could also still be a strong option.

Soccer Football - European Super Cup - Real Madrid v Eintracht Frankfurt - Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland - August 10, 2022 Real Madrid's Karim Benzema celebrates with the trophy after winning the European Super Cup REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

So, whichever way you look at it and however you want to set up the team, the moral of the story is that Real are building up towards a side so terrifying that they could well dominate European football in the mid-2020s.

If they can win the Champions League while they're only halfway through the process of doing so, then we dread to think what they'll achieve by the time they're finished.

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