Real Madrid News
Real Madrid academy prospect facing uncertain future
Real Madrid barely had any bright spots in midfield last season as they were exposed time and time again in the middle of the park across competitions.
While the likes of Eduardo Camavinga and Jude Bellingham simply never hit their best level, others like Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde crumbled under the pressure of carrying the team alone.
A brief period of stability, however, arrived when Alvaro Arbeloa handed the academy prospect Thiago Pitarch regular minutes and made him a mainstay in the department. The youngster, in fact, ended the season as one of the few silver linings in midfield.
Pitarch’s future is uncertain
As reported by Ben Fernandes Santos in a recent update, Pitarch’s future at Real Madrid is far from assured and the player may not be a part of Jose Mourinho’s plans.
At this point, no decision has been taken on the young midfielder’s future and the club continues to delay their call.
He will play the Under-19 Euros with Spain for the time being, and his future will seemingly be settled only after that event.
The player has received no offers as matters stand either, and even a move away from the club looks complicated unless he earns the limelight again in the U19 Euros.
An unfavourable managerial change
In Arbeloa, Pitarch had a manager who trusted the academy players and handed them the platform to prove their worth and shine. It thus comes as no surprise that he rose rapidly up the ranks under his tutelage.
Jose Mourinho’s arrival, however, changes the scene completely for Pitarch and several other hopeful academy prospects.
The Portuguese manager has always been one to believe in experienced campaigners and big names over youngsters, and he appears to be going in the same direction at Real Madrid once again.
Given that the manager could not assure Nico Paz regular minutes goes a long way to show where Mourinho’s ideology lies. Pitarch, on that front, may be better off on his way out of the club this summer.
Last season, the midfielder made ten appearances and eight starts for Real Madrid in La Liga and racked up two assists in that duration. He averaged 90% pass completion and over five defensive actions per game.
After a month into the new season, Aurelien Tchouameni is finally back in action for Real Madrid.
The Frenchman made his first appearance of the season for the Merengues last night against Inter Milan after recovering from the muscular injury that delayed his campaign.
His return to fitness had raised questions over where he would fit into Mourinho’s plans.
Tchouameni has been a regular in Real Madrid’s midfield for several seasons under different managers, but the end of last season was far less straightforward.
His confrontation with Federico Valverde, combined with speculation over his future at the club, created uncertainty about his position. His lack of a proper pre-season also appeared to put him behind other midfield options.
Bernardo Silva had established himself as an important figure, while Eduardo Camavinga was also ahead of Tchouameni in terms of match fitness.
With Real Madrid looking for greater creativity in midfield, there were questions over whether the Frenchman would still be a first-choice player.
Key for Mourinho
According to AS (h/t Bernabeu Digital), however, Mourinho has no such doubts. Tchouameni remains a key player for the Portuguese coach and is expected to be a starter.
Mourinho sees the French international as a midfielder without a direct replacement in the squad.
For Jose, Tchouameni provides something that none of the other midfielders in the squad do – a more defensive and positional presence, combining his tactical discipline with considerable physical strength.
His ability to shield the defence and provide balance could be particularly important for a Real Madrid side that want to defend aggressively and attack quickly in transition.
For that reason, his absence at the start of the campaign has not changed the manager’s view of his importance.
Mourinho faces a midfield selection problem
The challenge for Mourinho now is finding a way to fit all the pieces together.
If Tchouameni is guaranteed a starting position and Valverde is considered untouchable as captain, the obvious consequence is that Bernardo could find himself starting from the bench.
The summer arrival had been given an important role in helping Real Madrid control and distribute possession from deeper positions.
However, with Tchouameni and Valverde both occupying midfield places, Mourinho cannot accommodate everyone in the same lineup.
How the Portuguese coach manages that competition will be interesting to see in the coming weeks.
