Real Madrid News
Real Madrid ‘fourth-choice’ centre-back’ determined to fight for a place
It is easy for a professional sportsman to get demotivated when his team signs another player for his position. Not only does it signal the arrival of direct competition but also an indication that the club does not consider his contributions sufficient enough.
Last season, Nacho Fernandez was the third choice centre-back behind David Alaba and Eder Militao at Real Madrid. Yet, being the first-choice substitute helped him gather minutes when the starters were injured or rotated.
And he did a rather excellent job, including in the latter stages of the Champions League when the pressure ramped up.
This season, the Spaniard’s role is not as clear. The arrival of Antonio Rudiger has complicated the situation, for Nacho is now the fourth-choice centre-back.
According to reports from Diario AS, the Spaniard is not afraid of competition. He is not disheartened by the arrival of Rudiger and is, in fact, used to such complicated situations.
He finished last season at a very high level and came back to work with a determined mindset. During Real Madrid’s US leg of the preseason, the Spaniard displayed that he is a reliable presence in the back.
The reason for his mental strength in this difficult situation is that Nacho feels he is at his dream club and at the best moment of his career. Moreover, the manager’s trust in him is a driving factor too.
Last season, the 32-year-old made 28 La Liga appearances for the champions and scored three goals. Defensively, he averaged over six defensive actions per game and oversaw four clean sheets.
His current contract with the club expired in June 2023, but there have been talks over an extension for an additional year. It remains to be seen if Los Blancos push for the renewal or if the player departs because of a lack of playing time.
The current edition of the Real Madrid squad is full of young talents, who have shown remarkable potential in recent years.
Arda Guler is among the young players looking to make a mark in European football in the years to come.
The young Turk joined Real Madrid earlier this summer, rejecting many other European giants in the process.
Toni Kroos mentoring Guler at Real Madrid
Guler has not enjoyed the best of starts to his life at Santiago Bernabeu, as he is spending a brief time on the sidelines due to an injury.
However, Guler has not stopped working on his characteristics, as he looks to kickstart his Real Madrid career on a positive note.
To that end, the former Fenerbahce starlet is receiving some key support from one of Real Madrid’s midfield pillars in the form of Toni Kroos.
This is according to MARCA, which suggests that the German international is mentoring Guler in his early days at Santiago Bernabeu.
Kroos: huge ‘sponsor’ of Guler
The report highlights how Toni Kroos is a huge admirer of Arda Guler. The German had even heaped praise on the youngster from Turkey when he joined the club earlier in the summer.
Guler, therefore, is closely training with Kroos, whose years of experience, composure, and knowledge of football, could help the youngster grow at Santiago Bernabeu.
This fits in well with Carlo Ancelotti’s vision at Real Madrid, as the Italian boss wants youngsters to have room to grow, especially with guidance from some of the older guards in the team.
It is one of the key reasons Real Madrid wanted to stick to Kroos and Luka Modric, despite bringing in Arda Guler and Jude Bellingham in the summer.
Guler, therefore, has the stage set for him to start his Real Madrid career on a strong note. After impressing in training, the next step for the youngster is to make a promising debut, which is just around the corner.
