There are many positive things to take away from the Club World Cup, but if there’s one thing that Madrid fans love, it’s seeing a young player from the youth academy burst onto the scene with the force that Gonzalo has done. Xabi Alonso has given him confidence from the moment he set foot in Valdebebas, and the young talent has responded with goals, good play, intensity… he has knocked down the door of the first team and Florentino has already made a decision about him.
Gonzalo and the Club World Cup
It was a surprise to see Gonzalo in the starting lineup for the first match of the Club World Cup against Al-Hilal. Mbappé was suffering from severe gastroenteritis and the Tolosa-born coach, who made almost no changes to Ancelotti’s lineup for this first match, put the youth player in for the Frenchman, ahead of other players such as Brahim, for example. He scored the team’s only goal and was named MVP.
But in the second game, Xabi Alonso changed the system, and with Mbappé still out, Rodrygo was sacrificed, while the youth player consolidated his place in the starting eleven. There was less of a surprise in the third game, where he played again and scored again to seal the team’s passage to the round of 16. In the round of 16 and the quarterfinals, Mbappé was back from injury, but the young player from La Fábrica was once again the chosen one, scoring in both games to become the tournament’s top scorer.
By this point, he had already won the admiration of Real Madrid. Regardless, he has already become the new star of the club, the new hope for the future. The number 9 that the fans were calling for and that the team so badly needed is at home and, what’s more, has the confidence of Xabi Alonso.
Florentino and the decision on Gonzalo
Florentino Pérez has put an end to any speculation surrounding Gonzalo and has made a firm decision about his future. As expected, the player will be part of the squad for next season, which begins in just over a month. Many teams have contacted the Whites to find out their intentions for the player, but the Valdebebas offices have declined any option for his departure. Gonzalo has the support of the fans, the coaching staff, and the board.
A problem for Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso is going to face a major problem starting next season. With Rodrygo‘s future up in the air, but he is the least of his worries, he will have to decide whether to bet big on the youth player or if Vinicius and Mbappé will be his starting players. It seems that with the new system, there is no room for three attacking players from the start, or at least, it will not be the usual approach. In addition, the arrival of Franco Mastantuono on August 15 only adds fuel to the fire. A problem for Xabi Alonso, but a blessed problem for the Whites’ attack. There was no number nine knocking on the door for a starting spot, but now there are more cards to play for the future.
Gonzalo has earned everyone’s trust, including that of Florentino Pérez. After a disappointing season, Real Madrid is back on track, and the arrival of a youth player fuels the enthusiasm of a team accustomed to fighting for everything, but which has been missing home-grown players, people who have felt the shirt since they were children, people who have fought their way up from the bottom to become the best.