Eduardo Camavinga‘s future at Real Madrid is still swinging back and forth. If a few weeks ago he was halfway out of the team, his change of mentality, together with his good performances, could be tipping the balance towards his continuity.
Camavinga, a season of ups and downs
Camavinga’s season is one of the most irregular since he joined the team last August 2021. At just 18 years old, the French footballer has been progressing as expected, but this season that progress has been brought to a screeching halt.
Camavinga is a complete midfielder. He contributes in defense, he contributes in attack, he has an exquisite and unique game, he is dedicated and he can play in other positions in times of emergency for the team, as he has already demonstrated playing as a left back.
Real Madrid’s bet on the young French promise was risky, but it was the right thing to do to prevent another of European football’s big names from snapping him up. And the white house was delighted with his progress.
However, this season he has been seen as a footballer who is both comfortable and weighed down by injuries, which have not allowed him to perform at his level. At the same time he has been seen as anxious and hasty, both with the ball and with the defense, creating situations that have hurt Real Madrid.
The three clearest situations were in the Copa del Rey against Celta, where he gave away a ball on the edge of the area that led to the Galician team’s equalizer to end up in extra time, in a game that the Whites were winning 2-0 at the Bernabéu and which seemed under control. Another error was made against Osasuna, where he arrived too late to stop a shot from the red and white striker and caused a penalty when the ball was going out of play. These are the kind of dubious penalties that the Whites are being called for this season, but the impact was so hard that the referee had no choice but to point to the spot. And the mistake that hurt the most was in the final of the Spanish Super Cup against FC Barcelona, where he ran over Gavi while trying to clear the ball in a harmless move, giving away a penalty that was the start of the comeback for the Blaugranas.
The player has been seen to miss easy passes, to be hasty in attack and out of control in defense, arriving late to divided balls and running into opposing players, actions that led the board to transfer the player at the end of the season. This is in addition to reports that the player would like a change of scenery next season, which could precipitate things for next year
The change of Camavinga
However, Eduardo Camavinga seems to be getting back to his best. He was key in the second leg of the Champions League against Atlético Madrid when he came on in the second half. His participation was decisive both in attack and defense, preventing dangerous situations against Thibaut Courtois‘ goal, cutting off important passes, and making good decisions with the ball with good passes or breaking lines with his dribbling, giving clear signs of recovery and physical strength.
From Real Madrid’s point of view, this is the Camavinga they want to see, especially in the mental aspect. They believe that if he can take a step forward in this sense, if he can be more consistent in his concentration in the game, he can become one of the best midfielders in the coming years. There is no doubt that this final stretch of the season, when Real Madrid are fighting for titles, will be key in the decision that Real Madrid will end up making about his future.