The January transfer window is nearly upon us, and rumors are starting to emerge linking Real Madrid with want-away Chelsea defender David Luiz. Here’s why Madrid should consider purchasing the Brazilian.
I can hear the negative reactions to this article already being typed up by angry fingers of Madrid fans around the world. David Luiz?! Why would Real Madrid want a washed up Chelsea reject when they’ve already got plenty of defenders not getting enough love sitting on their bench?
All reasonable concerns. But I think there’s still plenty of room for David Luiz on Real Madrid’s roster. Here’s why:
First, Real Madrid are still in the running for four trophies this season: La Liga, the Champions League, the Copa del Rey, and the Club World Cup. People often forget just how draining the added travel of the Club World Cup can be for a squad already stretched thin. David Luiz of course wouldn’t be around for the tournament itself, but he could be around for the aftermath. While Luiz would also be cup-tied and could not play for Madrid in the Champions League, he could come in handy in the Copa del Rey and in the crowded La Liga fixture schedule.
Second, Madrid have a Sergio Ramos problem. As good as Ramos is when he’s on form, he always seems to be one step away from being sent off the pitch. Ramos’ red cards aren’t just bad for Madrid in the matches he gets sent off, they also cause Madrid to suffer when he serves his suspension.
Third, Real Madrid also have some injury prone center-backs. Raphael Varane has had his fair share of injury issues over the years. He spent a good chunk of 2015 sidelined with a thigh injury. Last season, he had an almost Bale-esque spell where he recovered from injury, only to pull up injured again after ten minutes of play, causing Zidane to speculate about whether his injury issues might be psychological.
Jesus Vallejo is another man taking up a spot in Madrid’s center-back roster. But Vallejo also has an injury history which could come into play later in the season. He was injured four times over the course of 2016-2017, missing anywhere from seven to 29 days due to injury. He has already been injured twice for Madrid this season, missing four matches each spell.
Of course, Real Madrid can always call on the services of the trusted backup Nacho. But Nacho may be required to deputize at right-back during the tail end of the season. While Achraf Hakimi showed significant promise during his brief spell as a Carvajal replacement, he is simply not as polished yet as Nacho, who should be the go-to replacement for big matches in the spring.
Here’s the thing: For David Luiz to truly play a necessary part in Madrid’s roster, many things would have to go wrong all at once. But let’s not pretend that Madrid’s season hasn’t been derailed before by injury issues compounding all at once.
People who are angry at the prospect of us buying David Luiz, I would suggest, are thinking about the January transfer market in the wrong way. It’s great if Real Madrid can use January to pick up someone who might be a long term member of the squad, but it doesn’t have to be that way for it to be a successful January window. Right now, Madrid needs to give themselves all the tools they can to finish the season as strong as possible. That may mean going out and signing a player moving into the tail end of their career to provide a bit of much-needed depth at a position where Madrid could suffer if things go wrong.
Antonio Conte did not take kindly to a question about his relationship with David Luiz ... pic.twitter.com/7MhFF9Mrax
— GOAL News (@GoalNews) December 5, 2017
What does Luiz bring to the table? First and foremost, he’s a center-back who’s been playing at the highest level for the better part of the last decade, and has title-winning experience on his CV. Madrid could use this level of experience in the dressing room and on the pitch. He has great distribution, and is also skilled at playing the ball forward out of the back, skills that would make him a good replacement for both Ramos or Varane. He also has the versatility of being able to play as a center defensive midfielder, in case we find ourselves without Casemiro. Yes, Mateo Kovacic could play that role, but forcing Kovacic into a strict defensive midfield position might limit his contributions elsewhere on the pitch.
Luiz comes in for a lot of schtick, perhaps due to his appearance and personality. His poofy hair has earned him the “Sideshow Bob” moniker, and perhaps makes him less easy to take seriously. He also played a prominent role in Brazil’s humiliating 7-1 defeat to Germany in the 2014 World Cup, becoming a highly visible icon for Brazil’s footballing demise.
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But Antonio Conte put his trust in him last season, and Luiz became an integral part of Conte’s 3-4-3. This season, it seems that Luiz has fallen out of favor with the Italian manager. This may give Madrid fans reason for skepticism. If Conte doesn’t trust Luiz anymore, why should Zidane? It’s hard to say whether Conte’s sudden distrust with Luiz is entirely based in football, or whether there are personal issues going on behind the scenes. We know from his less-than-delicate handling of the Diego Costa situation that if Conte decides he doesn’t like a player, he makes his feelings known. With a player like Luiz, the ego clash could have been too much to handle for this season.
That doesn’t mean that Luiz is entirely washed up, though. Luiz is 30 years old. Yes, he is beginning to enter the twilight of his career. But Madrid could still get a few good years of service out of him.
The biggest reason Madrid should snap up Luiz is that it seems that this transfer could happen painlessly and on the cheap. Luiz seems to want out of Chelsea. Conte seems to want Luiz out of Chelsea.
I have not seen a price named yet in the transfer rumors, but when teams know that a manager is dying to offload a player, it tends to reduce the asking cost. Madrid could sneak away from the January transfer window with an experienced defensive squad rotation player on the cheap. I see no reason why Madrid shouldn’t jump at that opportunity.
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