Real Madrid News
Real Madrid will sign a midfielder in 2025 to fill the void left by Toni Kroos – report
The mighty Real Madrid have come falling down and the offices at Valdebebas are overseeing a sad state of affairs.
Entering the new season as the defending Spanish and European champions, a lot of expectations were placed on the men in white especially after they secured the signing of Kylian Mbappe.
What followed, however, has been uncharacteristic of Real Madrid as they have looked far from dominant on the field and disharmonious across multiple departments.
Worry in the midfield
As revealed in a recent update by MARCA, Real Madrid are increasingly worried about the situation in midfield. They see that Toni Kroos’ departure left an even bigger void than initially anticipated and thus see the need for a new profile.
Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, Federico Valverde and Jude Bellingham were initially seen to have the required quality to fill the void left by the departing German.
While their work off the ball and in terms of movement cannot be criticised, Real Madrid have simply struggled without an elite passer of the ball to break down defences, switch the play and bring creativity to the game.
The Spanish outlet thus relays that the Real Madrid administration will look to reinforce the midfield in the summer transfer window next year. For the ongoing campaign, they will continue to trust the existing core.
So far, Ancelotti has turned to Luka Modric to provide cover in the midfield for his vision on the field is unparalleled. The Croatian, however, is close to the end of his career and can no longer play week in and week out.
It thus remains to be seen if the manager looks towards Arda Guler at any point this season for the young Turkish star has exactly what the team lacks.
For that, however, Ancelotti must first destroy the reigning hierarchy and prioritise the team’s betterment.
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.
Samuel
November 7, 2024 at 5:54 pm
Anceloti should give Arda guler an opportunity to prove himself,