In just over 24 hours, the regular season will come to an end for Real Madrid. The season has been plagued by ups and downs, with the negatives overshadowing the few bright spots shown by Carlo Ancelotti’s side, who have performed well below expectations, playing predictable, boring football, leaking goals at the back and with an attack in which only Kylian Mbappé has stood out, and even then only just.
With the end of the season comes the time to wipe the slate clean. The departure of Carlo Ancelotti, who leaves as the most successful coach in the club’s history after a very successful second spell, will see Xabi Alonso take over at the Santiago Bernabéu with the task of building his own Real Madrid and taking it back to the top.
It will not be an easy task, as there is much to do, polish and improve at Real Madrid. The season has made this clear, with, as we said, a defense that has performed poorly and been ravaged by injuries throughout the season, a barren attack with several of its players far from their usual form, and a midfield that has lacked direction.
A crowded midfield, but without direction
Real Madrid’s midfield has felt orphaned for much of the season. The departure of Toni Kroos last summer after winning the Champions League left the team reeling and without a reference point like the German to organize and direct the play. The vision that the number 8 had may be irreplaceable, but Concha Espina has been considering different profiles for months to fill that void.
Why look elsewhere when there are players in the squad? The reality is that although there are names such as Thouaméni, Camavinga, Ceballos, Modric, Valverde and even Arda Güler in the German’s position, none of them have performed consistently enough to be considered up to the task. Modric and Ceballos have been the ones who have filled that void the most, but the Croatian has had few minutes due to his age and the Utrera-born player has not been the same before and after his injury.
Candidates to be the new Kroos
In recent months, many names have been mentioned to fill that void. Above all has been Martín Zubimendi, a player for Real Sociedad. With a price tag of $60 million, the txuriurdin has always been at the top of the list, but also for Arsenal, which looks set to sign the player for next season.
Another name that is very popular is the Spanish player Rodri, who plays for Manchester City and has just returned from injury. He is the practically unattainable dream of Real Madrid, which cannot afford such a major signing at the moment. It is hoped that he will wear the white shirt in the future.
Other names that have been linked with the Whites to fill Kroos’ absence include Vitinha, Angelo Stiller, Reijnders… And so on and so forth, a long list of options that, either because of the price or because they don’t quite fit the bill, have not materialized. Now, an option has resurfaced that could even arrive in time for the World Cup.
Hugo Larsson enters the scene
It seems very unlikely that the coveted midfielder will arrive before June 10, when the extra transfer window for the World Cup closes until July 1, but Real Madrid is not giving up and has put Hugo Larsson’s name on the table, according to MARCA. The young midfielder, just 20 years old, has become one of the sensations of the Bundesliga with Eintracht Frankfurt. He has played 33 games and scored three goals in the Bundesliga this season. Larsson’s market value is currently €40 million, according to Transfermarkt.