Real Madrid is licking its wounds after a difficult season that has not left the best taste in the mouth. The conclusions drawn so far from this season’s events are that it is time to change course, to rethink many things, to say painful goodbyes and to welcome exciting new arrivals ahead of a season in which the Whites will be hungry for titles.
Something has gone wrong this season, that is a fact. Many see the fault lying with the bench. Ancelotti is the main target in this unusual year and his future, therefore, seems to be far from Real Madrid. The Italian coach will leave the Whites after a season in which he has lived on a knife edge, depending on titles that did not arrive, juggling injuries and a lack of players, and ‘abusing’ some players whom he has overloaded with minutes by not trusting several members of his B team.
There are also several players in the squad who have lost the support of the fans and are surrounded by criticism. The poor performance of several members of the squad has meant that certain needs have been added to Real Madrid’s transfer agenda for the summer, although there are other situations that were already in place before the season started.
No compass in midfield
Since Toni Kroos’ departure, Real Madrid seems to have been left orphaned in midfield. The team lacked direction, and not because of a lack of players. In that area of the field, there are players such as Tchouaméni, Camavinga, Modric, and Ceballos who have had many opportunities to make Madrid fans forget about the German Kaiser, but that has not happened.
Tchouaméni has been sacrificed a lot this season due to Ancelotti’s needs in the center of defense. His work as a center back has not always been the best, drawing a lot of criticism during a stretch of the season that he has struggled to recover from. Now that he is back in his territory, he has proven his worth and returned to his best form.
The same cannot be said for his teammate. Camavinga has had one of the most inconsistent seasons of his career. After last season, much was expected of him this year and that he would take a step forward, but the opposite has happened. Except for a few games in which he showed flashes of the player he is, he has performed well below expectations, even leading to rumors of a departure in the summer.
Like his compatriot Thouaméni, he has also had to play in defense on several occasions, leaving his natural position, and in recent days he has experienced the worst possible scenario. He has been seriously injured and will miss the rest of the season and even the Club World Cup.
Continuing with this review, we come to Ceballos, who has surprised many with his performance, but also suffered an injury that slowed his progress. He returned to the pitch a few weeks ago, but his performance has gone largely unnoticed.
The last on the list is Modric, who is about to turn 40 and whose contract is expiring. Due to his age, Ancelotti has limited his playing time. The Croatian’s performance has been excellent, as always, but his age and the fact that his contract is expiring leave his future uncertain.
A midfielder with a galactic price tag
With this scenario, Real Madrid has been looking for its new Toni Kroos for over a year. Many names have been mentioned, and now another one has been added to the list, with a price tag that is perhaps too high for the club’s current transfer policy. We are talking about the Atalanta player Éderson dos Santos. He is untouchable for Gasperini and has shown such an outstanding level this season that it will be difficult for the Italian side to keep him in the summer.
Éderson is on track to have a great year individually, and his performance has not gone unnoticed in Europe. Manchester United, Manchester City, Atlético Madrid, Juventus, and Madrid itself have all inquired about his situation. However, getting him out of Italy will not be cheap. According to AS, Dea will be looking for around $75 million for the midfielder.