Real Madrid is about to end one of the best midfield trios in history, not only for the white team, but for world football. When the Club World Cup ends, Luka Modric will bring his career with Real Madrid to a close, becoming the last member of that legendary midfield trio formed by the Croatian, Casemiro, and Toni Kroos.
Farewell to the best midfield in Real Madrid’s history
Casemiro, Modric, and Kroos have formed one of the best midfield trios in memory. With all three players at their peak, they combined everything you could ask for in a midfield. Casemiro had the power and determination to be the ideal defensive midfielder for the team, with a simple but effective style, combative, tough and decisive in defense, but also with good ball control, a good shot from outside the area and opportunism from set pieces. He linked up wonderfully with Toni Kroos, who was in charge of organizing the team, setting the pace at all times, providing composure and sanity, and always alongside his faithful squire, Luka Modric, who was responsible for providing the magic, knowing how to move through the middle like no one else, linking up with the defense and the attack, and with an ease only the chosen few possess for moving with the ball glued to his feet.
This midfield brought a lot of joy to the Whites, many titles, but little by little it faded away, first with the departure of the Brazilian, then with the retirement of Kroos, and now with the farewell of Modric, who is about to turn 40.
Poor planning
The midfield faded away as football trends seemed to change. Real Madrid’s midfield was increasingly overpowered by other teams, and the Whites began to follow suit, signing players who were very physical but lacked quality. However, time puts everything in its place, and it has been proven that quality is still what counts (physical fitness is still essential), especially in a team that aspires to win titles.
Real Madrid did not think about this in recent years, did not bother to look for a player with these characteristics, who makes the team play, who controls the rhythm of the game, who directs his players from the center of the field. Individual quality has been holding up a three-legged table, but this season it has finally collapsed.
Urgent needs and complications
And now the emergencies have arrived. Real Madrid is obliged to find a midfielder capable of carrying out these tasks, but it is not easy. The market has skyrocketed and there is no player worth going all out for. Work continues to find the best option, the ideal replacement, but they are not finding it.
In the meantime, Xabi Alonso seems to be betting on Arda Güler, who is performing well at the moment, but there are doubts as to whether he is capable of taking on this role in the long term. His tendency to join in the attack, as is logical, and his lack of defensive rigor, also logical, make a complete conversion difficult. He may be useful at certain moments, but it is doubtful that he can carry the weight for a long time. These are still short-term fixes, but it remains a need that must be addressed.
Real Madrid continues to search for a defensive midfielder who can meet the demands of playing in the center of the Real Madrid midfield. The bar is set very high, years after the days of Casemiro, Kroos, and Modric together, and an alternative has yet to be found.