Real Madrid News
Real Madrid midfielder fails to silence doubts despite strong pre-season numbers – report
Real Madrid’s failure to sign Rodri this summer transfer window has put the spotlight firmly on the existing midfield options in the squad.
With the Spanish World Cup winner not coming to join the project, the onus is now on the likes of Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga to step up.
Now, according to Mundo Deportivo, Camavinga remains under pressure at Real Madrid, with the French midfielder still struggling to convince despite posting respectable numbers during pre-season.
The 23-year-old is one of the players whose future remains uncertain after a disappointing 2025-26 campaign.
The player has so far maintained his stance that he has no intention of leaving and wants to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu until his contract expires in 2029.
Camavinga still searching for his best level
The midfielder has started both of Real Madrid’s pre-season friendlies so far, completing 90 minutes against Fiorentina before playing the first half against Ferencvaros.
Statistically, his performances have been solid.
Against Fiorentina, Camavinga completed 93% of his passes, recovered possession seven times and won six of his nine duels.
He followed that up with another efficient display against Ferencvaros, completing 51 of 52 passes, recovering the ball four times and winning four of six duels.
Numbers do not tell the full story
The issue is that those statistics have not translated into a commanding presence.
Camavinga has still looked short of authority in midfield, particularly when asked to control the rhythm of the game and impose himself in possession.
This is perhaps the biggest issue for Madrid in midfield. The Frenchman has always had the athleticism, recovery ability and versatility to contribute.
However, his game has simply not taken the next step into becoming a midfielder who can consistently dictate matches rather than simply participate in them.
Rodri setback could reopen the door
Rodri’s decision to join Barcelona may actually give Camavinga a fresh opportunity.
With Real Madrid currently not expected to sign another orchestrator, Jose Mourinho may have to rely more heavily on the options already available.
Tchouameni is still returning to full training, while Bernardo Silva is building fitness.
That leaves Camavinga with a real chance to earn an important role if he can finally rediscover his best form.
However, the Frenchman needs to do much better than he is right now to convince Jose Mourinho of a starting berth.
Sometimes, stats never tell the full story, and that has been the case for Camavinga in these couple of pre-season games.
The upcoming season could be make-or-break for the 23-year-old and his Real Madrid career, and it remains to be seen whether he can show some improvement in the coming weeks.
Real Madrid’s adventure so far under new coach Jose Mourinho has been far from perfect and this fact shouldn’t be lost even after the team’s brilliant comeback win over AS Roma in midweek.
However, there are areas where Los Blancos have shown a clear improvement under Mourinho, when compared to previous bosses such as Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa.
One of those areas has been set plays, with Real Madrid appearing far more potent from set pieces this season.
A clear improvement from last season
As reported by Diario AS, the three goals in Rome, all from Arda Guler corners inside a seven-minute blitz, were the perfect advert for the work being done at Valdebebas.
Those strikes took Real Madrid’s set-piece tally to seven goals in just ten matches this season. Four of them have come in La Liga, one from a corner and three from free kicks, with the trio in Rome completing the haul.
It is a striking figure when set against last season’s return. Under Alonso and Arbeloa, Madrid managed 12 set-piece goals across the entire campaign, all in La Liga, split evenly between six from corners and six from free kicks.
On current trends, this side looks well placed to surpass that number comfortably.
The reason behind Real Madrid’s improvement
Attacking set pieces are led at Valdebebas by Pedro Machado, with the whole coaching staff involved and Mourinho himself giving the final green light on every routine.
Defending them, meanwhile, falls to Sami Khedira, though it is treated as a collective effort. Mourinho’s appreciation of that teamwork was clear when Bellingham headed in a Guler free kick against Espanyol, prompting the manager to leap up and embrace his assistants.
Machado, one of Mourinho’s most trusted lieutenants, has followed him from Fenerbahce to Benfica and now Madrid, part of a backroom team blending experience with young, ambitious talent.
On the pitch, Guler is the undisputed master when available, his left foot the key weapon, with Bernardo Silva, Trent Alexander-Arnold and even Diomande also trusted to initiate attacks.
Such meticulous strategy has helped Real Madrid turn into a potent side from set-pieces this season.
