With the odd exception, Real Madrid can sign almost anyone they want. The rags were a hugely successful club at the time but Beckham and C Ronaldo still went there.
Not anymore, they also have to play under the FFP rules in both Spain and Europe. They spent £1.5 billion on the revamped stadium and took out very big loans, So just like Barcelona they will need to cut their cloth for many years until they start splashing the cash like they did.
Just like Barcelona they now hunt down players with small contracts or free players, They work on past glories and empty promises, it takes them 2 years to work on the player they want and offer them daft signing on fees and wages knowing their contract runs out and hope they don't sign a new one.
We saw it at City with B.Silva, They were trying to tap him up and get under the players skin, doing dirty tricks and getting information on what was in the player's contract and hoping they have a get out clause.
I'm not too fond of the sort of players like kylian-mbappé, they are the players killing the game and using football clubs to take money out of the game or hold them to ransom to get every last drop, He's been tapped up from about 3 seasons ago and Madrid knew when they would get their man and for peanuts,
it's happening with Haaland right now they will be trying to get into his head and want him to run down his contract and walk away for peanuts at City,