The current roster of Real Madrid has generated controversy, especially in the attacking department after they, yet again, failed to sign Kylian Mbappé. The unexpected performance of an immense Jude Bellingham is somewhat covering for that lack of attacking personnel. In addition, the scoring efficiency of Joselu Mato has also been remarkable.
However, one of the weaker positions on the roster were the full-backs, but no top-tier signings were made this summer to reinforce either of the positions as the planning for the upcoming season was, once again, exclusively centered around ‘The Turtle’.
The right wing is occupied by Lucas Vázquez and Dani Carvajal. Out of the four available full-backs, the latter is the most trusted by Ancelotti, as evidently reflected by the minutes he has given to each of them. The Leganés native has displayed a fantastic level to start the season, performing very well and consistently. So much so that, even though he has suffered an injury, he has recovered and kept up the pace right where he left off.
When it comes to Lucas Vázquez, over the last few seasons the Galician has worked as a patch that often times is not enough to match the standards of the rest of the club. He is very likely to leave before the start of next season, but there is not a clear replacement in sight.
The left flank happens to be the most questioned by the fans and the manager, as Ferland Mendy is in not in appropriate form and possesses subpar technical qualities that are not enough to start for Real Madrid. As for Fran García, the Spaniard does not seem to fully convince the Italian coach.
As a result, Ancelotti has chosen to go back to using the resource of Eduardo Camavinga who, apart from offering much better technical aptitudes than his competitors, can often join the center of the pitch to help the midfielders out as a result of it being his natural position.
As an inconvenient, the Frenchman is bound to make mistakes, as he is not playing in his main position. Sometimes, he struggles to cover his man in crosses that come from the opposite wing and suffers when a through-ball is sent to his back. However, he is a very powerful and physically gifted player for individual duels, which helps him greatly reduce the impact of his weaknesses.
The truth is that Real Madrid must sign a world class player for the position, as the Frenchman is a key piece for the future of the club’s midfield.
Ancelotti’s tactical variable is working out, mainly because it allows Toni Kroos to take control of the rudder of the team while remaining surrounded by physically powerful players like Tchouaméni, Valverde or Bellingham, so that Real Madrid feels comfortable. Nevertheless, it is clear that Camavinga needs to return to midfield in order to keep on growing as a player, as Alphonso Davies is starting to get linked to the club and is the favorite to occupy the position in the near future.
The Canadian seems like the perfect alternative. He is one of the most differential players in all of Europe for the position and belongs to the collection of physically gifted gen Z talents that have joined Real Madrid over the last few seasons. His ability to interpret space and make the most out of it while joining the attack, his unstoppable pace and great touch to set quality crosses make him look like the suitable player for the left-back of Santiago Bernabéu. The Canadian’s contract runs out in 2025, and his agent has already talked about a potential transfer to Real Madrid before.
For the time being, Carlo Ancelotti is chosing to play Camavinga as the starter for the position. Should he give Fran García more chances in important matches?
Translated by Nuño Alonso.
Main image: @realmadrid.
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