Real Madrid News
Real Madrid academy left-back set to leave for Deportivo La Coruna
Real Madrid academy graduate Manu Serrano is set to continue his development away from the Santiago Bernabeu, with the young left-back heading to Deportivo La Coruña in search of regular senior football.
According to MARCA, the 22-year-old will join Deportivo and initially link up with the club’s reserve team.
The move is nevertheless understood to offer a clear pathway towards the first team, with his multi-year contract including the possibility of a promotion as early as next season.
For Serrano, the transfer brings an end to a long spell at the Real Madrid academy and opens the door to a new chapter at a club looking to establish itself again at the highest level of Spanish football.
Manu Serrano leaves Real Madrid
Serrano joined Real Madrid’s youth academy in 2018 after arriving from Getafe at the age of 14.
Over the following years, he worked his way through the various age groups at La Fábrica before eventually establishing himself as part of the Real Madrid Castilla setup.
His journey through the academy also gave him the chance to make an official appearance for Real Madrid’s first team.
That moment arrived last May in a victory over Athletic Club at the Santiago Bernabeu. Serrano was introduced in the 84th minute, marking his senior debut for Los Blancos.
The youngster replaced Dani Carvajal on what was the captain’s final appearance in the white shirt, making Serrano’s brief but memorable introduction one he is unlikely to forget.
Serrano offered pathway towards first-team football
Despite reaching the first team, Serrano faced an extremely difficult battle for consistent opportunities at Real Madrid.
The competition for places at a club of that stature naturally makes it difficult for many academy players to secure the regular playing time needed for their development.
Deportivo now offers Serrano a fresh opportunity to build his senior career.
Although he will initially begin with the reserve side, there is a clear route towards the first-team squad if he can make the desired impression.
According to MARCA, Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho is eagerly awaiting the best version of Bernardo Silva.
The Portuguese midfielder, who arrived in the summer, is expected to become a key figure in a Real Madrid side that is still searching for greater control and creativity in midfield.
Inter Milan game exposed Real Madrid’s weakness
Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League meeting with Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabeu highlighted what many see as the major weakness of Mourinho’s new Real Madrid.
The lack of control in midfield turned the match into a chaotic contest, with the Merengues ultimately surviving thanks in large part to another outstanding performance from Thibaut Courtois.
While the forwards were guilty of wasting several opportunities, Real Madrid struggled to manage the game for long periods.
And, Mourinho believes he has an answer to that problem in Bernardo Silva.
Bernardo’s absence was badly felt
Bernardo missed the Inter match through suspension, alongside Arda Guler and Eduardo Camavinga.
With the midfield depleted, Mourinho tried to compensate by pushing Trent further forward to help Federico Valverde with the creative duties.
The experiment did not work particularly well, and it is unlikely to be repeated unless circumstances leave Mourinho with no alternative.
The failure to sign Rodri was a blow for Real Madrid, but the club and Mourinho believed they had at least partially addressed the problem by securing Bernardo’s arrival earlier in the summer.
The Portuguese midfielder had been the creative heartbeat of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, and Real Madrid won the race for his signature despite competition from Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and other clubs.
A slow start, but Mourinho needs Bernardo’s creativity
Mourinho’s intervention proved decisive in persuading Bernardo to choose Real Madrid, but his influence in the team has been limited so far.
The coach publicly called out the midfielder for not working hard enough physically during the pre-season, which may help explain his modest involvement at the start of the campaign.
Bernardo has played just 205 minutes across four matches, starting two of them.
His best performances actually came during pre-season, when he stood out as the team’s new metronome while the squad was still adapting to Mourinho’s ideas.
That process is continuing, with Bernardo playing only a little over half an hour across Real Madrid’s last three matches.
The Portuguese is being eagerly awaited by his manager, particularly because Mourinho does not currently plan to move Guler into a deeper role.
The coach believes Guler is more effective when operating closer to goal, although he sees the Turkish international eventually playing in a deeper role.
For now, though, that leaves Bernardo with an important responsibility in the build-up.
After playing more than 50 matches for Manchester City last season, and then participating in the World Cup he still needs to build his physical condition before taking on a greater role in Real Madrid’s midfield, with Mourinho waiting for his best version.
