Real Madrid News
21-year-old Real Madrid striker ‘one step away’ from joining La Liga rivals
Real Madrid striker Juanmi Latasa is inching closer to securing a loan move away to fellow La Liga club Rayo Vallecano, reports MARCA.
The 21-year-old striker is a product of Real Madrid’s La Fabrica youth setup, having joined in 2015. He has progressed at an impressive rate through the ranks and become a key player of the Castilla team over the past couple of seasons.
Indeed, Latasa has made 50 appearances for Real Madrid Castilla, scoring 18 goals and setting up one more. He made his senior debut for the Merengues in May earlier this year, featuring as a substitute in a La Liga clash against Cadiz.
With Luka Jovic departing and Mariano Diaz also likely to leave, Latasa would have been expected to make the step up to the first-team setup as a backup for Karim Benzema.
However, Carlo Ancelotti hardly afforded the young Spaniard any minutes during the pre-season, indicating that he was not a part of his plans for the new campaign.
Latasa has since been on the lookout for a club and has now seemingly found his next destination. The report states that the 21-year-old striker is ‘one step away’ from completing a loan move to Rayo Vallecano, despite there being interest from Cadiz and Mallorca.
Under Andoni Iraola, Rayo Vallecano have been known to back young talents which would have appealed to Latasa. At the same time, a move to Vallecas means that the 21-year-old would continue living in the capital.
A loan move seems the right choice for the young striker as regular game-time in La Liga could help him earn valuable experience, preparing him for life at Real Madrid in the future.
The recent successes of Real Madrid in La Liga as well as the Champions League pay a testament to the club’s high level of quality this season; but manage to look even more impressive considering Carlo Ancelotti has been shorthanded with an influx of injuries.
Despite crucial absences, the Merengues have not let injury-related setbacks hamper their ambitions for the season.
Still, it is clear Real Madrid are walking on a tightrope with such a thin squad amid all these injuries, and thus minimizing the risk of any more unexpected misfortunes will be key.
Ancelotti faces a dilemma
Now, according to Mundo Deportivo, the Italian coach is facing a predicament: he can either utilize his starters in the next game or chart a pragmatic course and rest them to prevent any physical problems.
Ancelotti is tossing up whether to rest some players or keep “squeezing” them in because they do not have a midweek game the following week due to cup commitments.
The players in question are Antonio Rudiger, Federico Valverde, and Rodrygo. They have all been crucial to Ancleotti’s team this season.
But they have also played a significant number of minutes over the past month due to their respective teams’ needs.
The likes of Valverde and Rodrygo currently maintain an indispensable role in the team, especially following their recent performances.
After Luka Modric’s injury, who is doubtful to play Granada, Valverde’s presence will be all the more vital.
Furthermore, Rodrygo has played exceptionally well in his last two encounters, despite worries about his knee injury.
As such, his demotion to the bench would not be a wise move in his current form, especially with Jude Bellingham’s involvement also in doubt.
Time will tell how Ancelotti approaches the next few games. With the threat of injuries always looming large, he will potentially be compelled to make some sacrifices to the XI.
Abdulhakeem Abubakar Mahmud
August 24, 2022 at 8:01 pm
Juanmi Latasa should be given a chance to be backup for Benzema this season instead of loaning him out because Hazard is not reliable as false nine.