Zinedine Zidane's quiet efficiency in the Santiago Bernabeu dugout, which led to a league and European double last season, is being matched in the Real Madrid boss' summer transfer dealings.
The less noise the better has been Zidane's mantra since he assumed the reins from Rafa Benitez in January 2016. Remarkably, considering the depth of the presidential pockets he has at his disposal, the Frenchman has signed off on only three permanent acquisitions: Alvaro Morata, Theo Hernandez and Dani Ceballos.
Zidane has also proved to be something of an alchemist, turning base materials into transfer gold. In Morata's case, Chelsea were obliged to more than double the fee Real paid to Juventus 12 months ago for a player who still has not reached 10,000 minutes of senior club football. Morata chipped in with 15 league goals last term, a figure that certainly played its part in Real's domestic success, but the fact that he will not be sorely missed is a testament to the wealth of talent Zidane has.
Ceballos is not a prolific player in terms of goals or assists -- seven and nine, respectively, in 109 games for Betis suggests Madrid fans should not expect the 20-year-old to fill James Rodriguez's role in the side -- but his versatility is what attracted Zidane. The Spain under-21 international can play across the midfield and behind a striker and will give Real an extra option from the bench.
That striker, without doubt, will be Karim Benzema, who it seems will remain untouchable and largely unchallenged in the No. 9 role for 2017-18. Last season was Benzema's least productive since his debut campaign in 2009-10 and only the second time that he has failed to score 20 goals or more in a single season at the Bernabeu. Morata's departure opens the door of opportunity for Borja Mayoral, but Zidane will be looking for a greater contribution from his compatriot in front of goal: among Benzema's primary roles is to act as a facilitator for Cristiano Ronaldo, but a return of 11 Liga goals last season is not enough for striker of his calibre.
Zidane's handling of the Ronaldo affair also warrants mention. Under previous tenures, the Portuguese's sporadic pouting has been allowed to detract from the bigger picture, but this summer, when the club's record scorer suggested he might seek a fortune elsewhere, Zidane simply picked up the phone.
The Frenchman is widely regarded as one of the greatest players ever to grace the pitch, but if reports of a brewing bidding war between Manchester City and Chelsea for Danilo are accurate, Zidane has exceeded his own legend. The Brazilian will not leave the Bernabeu via the back door after salvaging some of the reputation he earned at Porto in the final months of last season, but if Real can pull in a fee of around €30 million -- the amount that swelled Porto's coffers in 2015 -- it will be an extraordinary bit of business; squeezing €10m out of Bayern Munich to take on the wages of an unwanted player in Rodriguez set the tone in that regard.
Even though business has been conducted with minimal fuss under Zidane, the cash register has been sounding regularly this summer, and with the sale of Morata added to the bill, Madrid have coined almost €100m in transfers and loan fees. On the face of it, Zidane needs to add little to nothing to an already extremely balanced and competitive squad. The returns of loanees Jesus Vallejo, Marcos Llorente and Mayoral complement the established first-teamers and provide instant replacements for the departed Pepe and Rodriguez and some much-needed cover for Casemiro in defensive midfield.
Hernandez is a long-overdue genuine understudy to Marcelo on the left, and if Danilo leaves, Zidane already has a reliable backup to Dani Carvajal in the shape of Nacho, who almost doubled his previous best appearances total last season with 39 in all competitions.
At this stage, the likelihood is that if Real dip a toe in the marketplace, it will be to cause a significant splash. Florentino Perez finds himself in uncharted territory: with a squad that has delivered back-to-back European titles, the onus is on retaining the core of the current playing staff. If Madrid want to add a Galactico signing this summer it will be from a position of strength, not whim. Courtesy of Zidane's business sense, it would also be an affordable luxury.