Zidane's decision to bring an end to his trophy-laden spell in charge at the Bernabeu led to a frantic search for his successor. Weeks of hunting eventually led to the Madrid-based side appointing Lopetegui as their new boss, heavily disrupting Spain's World Cup preparations in the process.
Lopetegui arrived to lead pre-season to a squad bereft of its biggest star in the form of Cristiano Ronaldo and in serious need of strengthening.
Reinforcements have since arrived, but not to the level expected, leaving Madrid's spine looking worryingly brittle.
The European champions are thught to have identified centre-back, central midfield and up front as the three position they need to strengthen before the end of the month.
Curiously, theses are also the three roles that Zidane had set his sights on recruiting for before his shock departure, according to 'El Confidencial'.
The 4-2 UEFA Super Cup defeat to city rivals Atletico Madrid has only reinforced the need for new recruits as 'Los Blancos' missed out on their first opportunity to claim silverware this season.