Things have not been going well in terms of sports planning at Real Madrid in recent seasons, and everything has come to a head in the last year, with performances on the pitch falling short of expectations and exposing multiple weaknesses. The departure of key players such as Toni Kroos and Joselu, whose positions were not filled, has made life extremely difficult for a team already hampered by injuries.
Lack of a reference number 9
Real Madrid is missing a pure number 9. The only player in the squad in that position is Endrick, and he has not played a major role or shown much when given opportunities. During this season, the team has felt the absence of Joselu on many occasions, a killer with an eye for goal who can make the difference in games during decisive moments. Just as the Galician did last season in the Champions League. This season, the lack of play and an organizing midfielder with vision has meant that Real Madrid has had to resort to crossing balls into the box, but there was no number 9 to finish them off. With his arrival, Xabi Alonso would have asked for that reference point in attack to have a safe pair of hands on the bench.
Real Madrid is looking for a striker
Real Madrid wants a striker. They want a striker with a specific profile: a pure number 9, who is good in the air, has an eye for goal and is low cost. The latter could change if players such as Endrick or Rodrygo leave the squad. Several names have emerged in the list of candidates, with a profile of veterans willing to take on a more secondary role, such as Ante Budimir, Roberto Firmino, and Willian, according to Diario AS. To this list, Chiringuito also added other names with a different profile and budget, such as Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen, 29), Serbian Dušan Vlahović (Juventus, 25), Frenchman Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace, 27), and German Nick Woltemade (Stuttgart, 23).
A striker at home: Xabi puts the brakes on his departure
However, the solution could be at home in the form of Gonzalo García. The Real Madrid Castilla striker seems to have reached his ceiling at the reserve team and needs a new challenge to continue growing. That is why the club was considering his departure, but Xabi Alonso has put the brakes on it. The coach’s idea is to try Gonzalo as a real alternative for the first team in the role left vacant by Joselu. At 21, he is one of the gems of the youth academy, and decisions will have to be made about him this summer.
He has suitors in LaLiga
These decisions will be made after the Club World Cup and these first few days of training under Xabi Alonso. The player, whose performance with Raúl at Castilla has been remarkable, has a market and, if he does not have a place in the first team, he would consider leaving to continue his development. In recent months, there has been talk that the club is also considering selling 50% of his rights to another club in July. They believe they could get a transfer fee of more than €10 million.
Celta stands out among the list of suitors, as they are strongly committed to young, national talent, especially with Claudio Giráldez on the bench. Getafe has also shown interest in the Real Madrid striker, and another LaLiga team has joined the list: Osasuna, which curiously has one of Real Madrid’s targets for that position, Budimir.