This Saturday, Real Madrid will experience a very special match at the Santiago Bernabéu with two main protagonists: Carlo Ancelotti and Luka Modric. The farewell of both will mark a match full of emotion, but they will not be the only farewells. It will also officially be the last match at the Bernabéu for Vallejo and Lucas Vázquez, who are ending their contracts this summer and will not be renewing.
Vallejo and an expected farewell
No renewal and no Club World Cup for Vallejo, whose contract expires on June 30, bringing to an end a rather unproductive spell at the club. Since arriving in 2015 from Zaragoza for five million euros, he has spent more time at other clubs than at Real Madrid. He has played for Real Zaragoza, Frankfurt, Wolves, and, in recent seasons, Granada. He bids farewell to the Whites having played only 34 games, with Saturday’s match still to come.
It is a match in which he could be part of the starting eleven, as in recent weeks, due to a plague of injuries, he has once again been given minutes under Ancelotti, both against Mallorca, where he played just over half an hour and provided an assist, and last weekend, where he was in the starting line-up, more than 1,000 days later, against Sevilla at the Sánchez Pizjuán.
Lucas Vázquez and his farewell season
Lucas Vázquez has made history with Real Madrid, giving his all in the seasons he has worn the white shirt, but this Saturday he will play his last game at the Santiago Bernabéu after a season in which he has performed very poorly as a right-back in the absence of Dani Carvajal, conceding a lot to the opposition and costing the team dearly with some of his performances.
A poor season that does not tarnish the Galician full-back’s career as a Real Madrid player. Lucas Vázquez leaves Real Madrid with 27 titles under his belt, making him one of the most decorated players in the club’s history. He could still add to his list of achievements as he will play in the Club World Cup with Real Madrid under Xabi Alonso in the United States.
The possible destinations for Vallejo and Lucas Vázquez
Everything indicates that Jesús Vallejo already has a destination once he leaves Real Madrid. He will not be going far, as there is talk that he has signed a contract with Rayo Vallecano for three or four seasons; barring any surprises, he will become the Vallecano team’s first signing for next season. The Madrid-based club wanted an experienced center back and has come out on top with Vallejo after beating competition from teams such as Getafe and Real Zaragoza.
In the case of Lucas Vázquez, everything points to him going much further afield. In recent weeks, several clubs in the Persian Gulf have shown real interest in signing Lucas Vázquez. Saudi Arabia and Qatar want to sign Lucas Vázquez. There is still no formal offer, but several clubs have already expressed their interest. If he heads to Saudi Arabia, he would follow in the footsteps of former teammates such as Karim Benzema, Nacho, and Joselu. There has been talk of concrete offers from a Qatari club and Al-Qadisiyah, the club coached by Michel González and where his former teammate Nacho plays.
Both will leave Real Madrid and continue their careers away from the Santiago Bernabéu. Their destinations will be decided in the coming weeks after experiencing mixed fortunes. The center back will leave without fanfare, while Lucas Vázquez, despite never having stood out for his football, will depart as a Real Madrid legend who gave his all for the club.