Real Madrid: Should Nacho have left for Sevilla?
Since Real Madrid signed Eder Militao, Nacho Fernandez will be the team’s fourth-choice center back this season. But he could have just as easily left this summer to compete for playing time elsewhere in La Liga.
Real Madrid have a strong trio of center backs, as Los Blancos acquired Eder Militao from FC Porto for 50 million euros. Militao will be the primary backup to world-class center backs Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos, and Madrid fans hope that he can make an impact in his first season with the club.
Meanwhile, Nacho Fernandez is sitting deep on the bench and is coming off of a poor 2018-2019 campaign. Nacho received 1,701 minutes of action last year, but it’s unlikely he receives half that much playing time in 2019-2020, thanks to Real’s decision to upgrade with Militao.
Per a report from MARCA’s Jose Felix Diaz, former Real Madrid manager Julen Lopetegui had interest in taking Nacho with him to Sevilla this summer, but Nacho rejected the overtures. He wants to stay at Madrid and loves the club, as he’s been with Real since 2001 as a youth player.
Nacho had options this summer and could have earned more playing time at a smaller club. At Real, his path to the starting XI is non-existent, and by keeping Nacho, Real were forced to loan a better, younger center back in Jesus Vallejo to Wolverhampton. And Vallejo is a part of the club’s future.
At 29, Nacho still has something left to give and could have regained some value elsewhere. Nacho used to be a key part of Real Madrid’s defense, but now that he’s started to decline, he may not have enough quality to be a factor for this team.
That said, Nacho is versatile, and his loyalty to the club is awesome. He clearly loves Madrid has much as any player. But the problem is that even his versatility is a moot point, because Real made upgrades at fullback, including signing sensation left back Ferland Mendy from Lyon.
It’s hard to say whether Nacho should have made a move to Sevilla with Lopetegui, but it would have been a positive move for his career in terms of opportunities and playing time. The Spanish international, who is a better goal-scorer than most defensive players, needs to up his value. Yet that’s likely not a priority for Nacho, who is happy in an environment he loves.
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Nacho’s current contract runs out in 2022, so if he wants to remain in Real, he has three more seasons left to enjoy being at one of the world’s most prestigious clubs. After that, he’ll be at an age where it will be impossible for Real, who are slowly undergoing a youth transition, to keep him. He’d have to find an opportunity elsewhere.
Sevilla could have been an ideal landing spot, given that Lopetegui seems to rate him. But there’s also something to be said about staying at a club that you’ve been at since an 11-year-old youth prospect. I have to respect Nacho’s loyalty and willingness to fight for a gig, even if he could have done better at Sevilla and is taking a spot Vallejo probably should have had.