With Los Blancos’ huge summer spending already amassing over £250 million before July, it begs the question of what are they going to do with some of their less valued players. This is what we are going to discuss, looking at the less utilised players in the Real Madrid squad and trying to find suitable destinations for them. The only player we will not be talking about is James Rodriguez because in my post discussing Napoli as potential title challengers, I spoke in depth on his likely move to Naples.
1. Mariano Diaz
The summer of 2018 for Real Madrid was arguably the worst in their history. Their sale of Cristiano Ronaldo made sense from their perspective, cashing in highly on an ageing striker. This backfired on an unimaginable basis thanks to their unwillingness to bring in an attacker on the same level as Ronaldo. Their defence of putting faith in the players in the squad is admirable, but they cannot replace nearly 40 goals, it’s that simple. Madrid ended the summer with Mariano Diaz, among others.
This was his second spell with the club after his first coming to an end due to zero starts in the league during the 2016/17 season. It gave Lyon a chance to pick him up for less than £10 million, a bargain for a such a young striker, even with the risk regarding his lack of game at the top level. It proved to be a massive success, with the Spaniard scoring 18 and assisting 4 in 30 starts for an excellent Lyon side. He is athletic and put up solid shot numbers, taking 3.4 per game in Ligue 1. I was so impressed by him last season, that I considered him to be one of the top 3 bargain transfers in the 17/18 season, alongside Pascal Gros and Andy Robertson. He is such an all-rounder, being able to score all types of goals. He’s a good distance shooter, with 6 of his 18 goals coming from outside the box. Most of those 6 goals he scored all were low drives from outside the box. It seems to be misleading for some keepers, with the opposition possibly not expecting a strike so low. He also scored 3 goals with his head, which is by far his best attribute as a striker. His leap his reminiscent of Ronaldo, with the sheer height he can reach being quite freakish. He seems to be able to jump twice his size, to reach balls that many taller strikers might not be able to reach. His small size makes him very difficult to mark compared to the more prominent players. He can find gaps that many taller strikers might not be able to.
Mariano is a player who possesses many skills that make him a versatile forward, being able to do different roles on the pitch. It’s what makes his former club’s repurchase of the striker for £20 million more than they sold him for understandable, but was still a bad choice. It seemed they brought him back because he was the best player they could get for the price, which is arguably true (in a market where Napoli are demanding £130 million for a 27-year-old centre back). This transfer has not worked out in the slightest. It isn’t the fault of the player, but the managers who didn’t want to play him. Whenever he did play, he was imposing. Out of his 3 starts in La Liga, he scored 2 and put high shot numbers and performed as well as he could when given a chance. With Jovic’s arrival and Benzema seemingly staying, it leaves Mariano in the same position he was in back in 2017, a lack of game time with more favoured players in front of him in the eyes of the coach.
So where should the Spaniard go? There have been some clubs linked to Mariano, with Milan and Valencia the prime candidates to get his signature. I would not recommend any striker to join AC Milan at the moment. They have a couple of excellent strikers, with Piatek only arriving back in January. Valencia makes much more sense. I have discussed previously how their strikers overperformed massively in the 2017/18 season. It meant their drop-off the following season was slightly expected but highlighted the issue for firepower up front. Their top scorer last season was midfielder Dani Parejo, with Rodrigo, Mina and Gameiro all contributing to 21 goals between them. It isn’t necessarily a bad return, but with Gameiro and Rodrigo ageing, adding a younger forward wouldn’t be the worst idea.
My recommendation would be Lille. The French side finished in the Champions League spots for the first time since 2014 with Nicolas Pepe guiding them to second in Ligue 1. While Ikone and Bamba contributed in attack, Lille have seemed slightly overreliant on Pepe doing everything in attack. The issue in attack has been the strikers. Loic Remy is not good enough to be playing in the Champions League, and while Leao seems like an exciting prospect, it’s still an area that needs addressing. Mariano is so multifunctional, comfortably able to fill multiple roles in attack. He has the speed to get balls in behind, the jump to challenge top defenders and is able to hold the ball up comfortably. He would be a great addition to a defensively solid side but need a bit more inventiveness in the final third. I doubt Madrid would sell for less than £30 million at the moment, so a loan move with an option to buy would be a sensible idea. Mariano is proven in the league and seeing him perform as he did for Lyon would be fantastic to see.
2. Jesus Vallejo
It’s crazy how Vallejo just doesn’t seem to be involved in Real Madrid’s plans. He is another Spaniard to struggle thanks to a lack of opportunities. Vallejo came to prominence after a standout loan spell at Frankfurt back in the 2016/17 season. He showed all of his best qualities in Germany, starting with his passing. Vallejo is a fantastic distributor of the ball and has consistently demonstrated that throughout his career. Since that break out season for Frankfurt, his pass accuracy hasn’t dropped below 85%. While he is comfortable at recycling possession, he has a vast range. He was averaging 3 long balls a game in the Bundesliga, a respectable amount in a team full of players taking those riskier passes. While his defensive partner David Abraham was great that season, Vallejo, for the first time, showed how he was capable of playing at the top level. He was completing over 75% of his tackles and was second in the side for pass accuracy with 85%.
Embed from Getty ImagesOne area of his game that needs improvement is his ability in the air. This became apparent in arguably his most significant appearance for Real Madrid, a Champions League Quarter Final second leg match against Juventus. This was Vallejo’s big chance to fight for a place in the side, with Ramos missing the game due to suspension. He really struggled in the game, being consistently exposed through Juventus’s direct route of Mandzukic. He even showed these weaknesses at Frankfurt, winning less than half of his attempted aerial duels. It means joining a club that has more of an emphasis on defending aerial dominance is off the table.
So where should an intelligent, young and composed passer move to this summer? I would recommend Vallejo go back to the Bundesliga, a league full of teams wanting to play from the back, and join Bayer Leverkusen. Peter Bosz plays an insanely attacking style of football, in a system where Julien Brandt, predominantly a wide player, was pushed into midfield just so more attackers could be on the pitch. With Sven Bender now 30-years-old, looking for a replacement who can replicate his excellent distribution and intelligent reading of the game is essential. Vallejo would fit this profile well. He’s always produced high interception numbers and is an elite distributor of the ball. While I recommended Mariano for a loan move, it might be time for Vallejo to commit permanently to another club. He does seem to want to stay at Madrid, but with Eder arriving and Varane, Nacho and Ramos most likely keeping their place Zidane, it might be time for Vallejo to return to the league where he flourished.
3. Lucas Vazquez
The first two players are much younger than Vazquez but remain in similar positions. Vasquez has been a valued squad player at Madrid since Zidane’s arrival back in 2016, making over 25 appearances in La Liga since the 2015/16 season. He is by no means a starter for Real Madrid in their biggest games but was vital to what Zidane implemented during that double-winning campaign. He didn’t have that same speed, power and eye for goal has Bale, but offered a great cross and a substantial defensive contribution. Per 90 in La Liga, he was putting in 2.6 tackles and was often used late in games to help Madrid keep hold of their leads. He is very much the old school wingers the game began moving beyond years ago, but he offers a parallel to the stars of Real. You can’t successfully compete in every competition without having players like Vasquez in your side.
It what makes the possible sale of Vasquez somewhat baffling to me. On the one hand, I see Real’s thinking. The winger is now 28, and it could be their last chance to cash in on him when he isn’t as crucial as other players in the squad, but on the other side of that, I think what the harm in keeping him is. The amount you could earn for Vazquez cannot be that enticing as selling the other 4 players on this list. He is still a valuable member of the team, and I don’t see a reason to sell him.
Embed from Getty ImagesHowever, if Madrid do decide to sell him, where should he go? He’s been linked to Arsenal, but his profile does not fit what they are looking for. The only side in La Liga that I could see him joining is Sevilla, but Lopatequi might want a winger who can offer more inventiveness. The only clubs I could see being a suitable destination would be the Milan clubs. Inter Milan still want to play a more traditional style in the attack, with Icardi and Lukaku fitting that poacher mould. Vazquez can become a reliable creator when starting often and offers that defensive work rate that Conte will want. The Italian is a coach who can get the most out of ageing players, as seen with how much output he was able to pull out of the likes of Barzagli, Cahill, Graziano Pelle and Pedro. It could be the move which would give Vazquez more game time while also allowing him to receive a considerable payday before he enters his twilight years as a player.
4. Sergio Reguilon
Onto our final Castilla graduate, Sergio Reguilon was one of the very few players at Real Madrid to perform well in arguably their worst season in the past decade. Marcelo had arguably his worst season in a Madrid shirt. The Brazilian was being consistently caught out and especially poor in their 3-0 defeat to Sevilla earlier in the season. It gave a chance for another player to take his position and with Theo Hernandez on loan, Reguilon was the only option. Madrid weren’t precisely stand out during their time under Solari, but Requilon was a bright spark. Even in their humiliating defeat to Ajax at the Bernabeu, getting the only assist for Los Blancos. He put up some solid defensive numbers, putting 3.2 tackles and interceptions per game. He offered something different to Marcelo, who has been the only wide player on the left side since his time playing with Ronaldo. The Brazilian had to do so much, and while many have criticised him defensively for years, his offensive output could never be ignored. As he’s aged, Marcelo has gotten worse in his awareness and contribution defensively, so having a more defensively capable player on that left side did have a positive effect. Reguilon also presented himself well in attack. He was creating 1.2 chances per game and is a very adequate passer, fitting that Spanish mould of confidence on the ball in defence. He has a lot to offer a club who are in search of full backs.
Embed from Getty ImagesMy first choice for which team he should join is Liverpool. This might be a rather daft suggestion considering they have the best full back in the league, but it would fix one of their most significant issues in defence, being defensive cover. With Moreno gone and Milner reaching the end of his career, the Reds need to start recruiting players who will able to challenge the first team players in the team and keep them competitive, but primarily to give them depth in case of injuries. Liverpool were fantastic last season but were also very lucky that none of their stars suffered major injuries. Liverpool cannot hope for luck again and will need to assure they are prepared for those moments. Reguilon is well rounded and is solid defensively and would deputise well for Robertson. He wouldn’t cost as much as other full backs, simply due to his lack of game time and will learn under one of the best coaches in the game.
5. Dani Ceballos
Last but certainly not least, we have Dani Ceballos. After his arrival back in 2017, I was hoping for Ceballos to have an effect on a side featuring an ageing midfield but was barely given a chance. This was down to Real Madrid struggling massively in the league and couldn’t rest their first team players to the same extent as they could before Ceballos’s arrival. It was sad to see him struggle as much as he has in the capital, and while his game time has improved, he could definitely offer more than he currently is. Ceballos gained attention from being a very versatile and talented midfielder. He was a fantastic dribbler at Real Betis and put in substantial defensive numbers while being very good physically. This earned him a move to Madrid where it seemed he would be given similar game time to Kovacic and Rodriguez were in the previous season, but this didn’t materialise. Ceballos is an extremely talented player and could play for a majority of top sides. He, like Kovacic, is one of the players that Madrid are willing to let go in an attempt to thin out of the squad of the less used talent, and also in a bid to sign one of Eriksen or Pogba. It would be ridiculous to let him go, but Ceballos is too good to be playing a bit part role.
Embed from Getty ImagesThere are an endless amount of clubs that should get Ceballos’s signature, with Manchester United, Tottenham, Arsenal, Napoli (if Allan leaves), Lyon and Manchester City all needing a player in the Spaniard’s profile. He should join whichever club guarantees him the most minutes. It would be fun to watch him in the Premier League, no matter who he joins.
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