Will Real Madrid sell Jesus Vallejo next summer?
Real Madrid have sent several promising players out on loan for the 2019-2020 campaign in order to give them some more playing time, but could Jesus Vallejo leave Los Blancos permanently upon the conclusion of the season?
Nacho Fernandez’s loyalty to Real Madrid, where he’s been since he was a youth prospect in 2001, has had a ripple effect on the rest of the roster.
Though Nacho could have joined former manager Julen Lopetegui, per MARCA, at Sevilla this season, the 29-year-old center back decided to stay with Real. He has little hope of receiving playing time and is under contract until 2022, meaning he’s essentially locked in as the fourth-choice center back. Barring injury, he has no realistic shot at making an impact.
As such, Real had to loan out Jesus Vallejo to give the promising 22-year-old center back a shot at significant playing time. He’s landed in an ideal spot, too, with Wolverhampton, who have an outside shot at earning a Europa League spot this season after a strong 2018-2019 campaign.
But Real already have two entrenched, world-class center backs in Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane, and their third-choice player is the newly acquired Eder Militao. The former FC Porto star has “world-class” written all over him, and he could even play himself into contention for a starting spot next season if his development goes as expected.
That could leave Vallejo, as talented as he is, in a precarious position. And with Real Madrid having ambitions at Kylian Mbappe and more midfield standouts like Paul Pogba or Donny van de Beek, a few players have to be sold.
According to Fichajes.net’s Miguel Angel de Miguel Casas, Vallejo could be sold next summer in an effort to make some more cash to fuel signings at positions that have less talent. Specifically the midfield, where Bruno Fernandes and Christian Eriksen have also been rumored as possible targets for Florentino Perez.
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Selling a player with Vallejo’s quality and youth is far from ideal, but Real have to think about both the money and the player’s own opportunities at advancement within the club. Real are absolutely loaded at center back, and while Vallejo is a nice player to have around, their current four center backs aren’t really going anywhere in the near future.
It’s a situation to monitor closely. If Vallejo impresses at Wolves and is valued highly by a club with increasing ambitions in the Premier League, he could easily sign a permanent deal there. But Real could also fetch a pretty penny from someone else if he plays incredibly well, as young center backs with a well-rounded skill-set are always in demand.