Real Madrid: Alvaro Odriozola is about to join Bayern on loan
Although Bayern Munich had significant interest in Real Madrid loanee Achraf Hakimi, they are about to sign a different right back from Los Blancos.
Real Madrid have only two right backs in the squad this season in every-game starter Dani Carvajal and young backup Alvaro Odriozola. Although Odriozola received minutes early in the season, he’s been largely phased out of the lineup since poor defending and a red card costed his team against RCD Mallorca in October. Real have not lost a game since.
Thus, Odriozola has been on the periphery of the squad and has always seemed unlikely to have a future in Madrid. He is talented and flashed that talent in a strong performance when Los Blancos defeated Granada 4-2 earlier in October, but with Carvajal starring again and Achraf Hakimi putting in world-class performances at Borussia Dortmund on loan, Odriozola isn’t Real Madrid-quality at this point.
However, that hasn’t stopped other teams from trying to make a swoop for Odriozola, who wouldn’t be the first fullback to shine after a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu. COPE, via MARCA, reported interest from Sevilla and Athletic Bilbao within La Liga, and they also reported that Bayern Munich are considering a move for Odriozola.
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Now, Christian Falk of BILD reports that the Spain international is “on his way” to Munich and that “the deal is perfect”. It looks like this will be a loan deal, and it’ll be curious to see if there’s an option to buy.
Bayern have been looking for a right back, showing interest in Hakimi. However, Hakimi was never likely to leave for Bayern, given that he loves Dortmund too much and would either stay with Dortmund or – much more likely – move back to Madrid upon the conclusion of his wildly successful loan deal.
But Odriozola could make sense on a loan deal for Bayern. He’d bring depth to the right back position for Die Roten, as Joshua Kimmich has moved to center midfield and Benjamin Pavard may be needed more at center back in the Rückrunde.
If Odriozola’s loan deal is complete, he’ll join James Rodriguez as recent Real Madrid players to have made loan moves to Bavaria. While James is now back in Madrid, he did have a successful spell in Bayern before injuries hit. Hopefully, for all parties involved, Odriozola’s loan deal works out well, and perhaps there will be an opportunity for a permanent move.
Odriozola is not in the squad for Real’s first Copa del Rey game, signifying that, per the always reliable Falk, a deal should be complete soon. Although the move would leave Carvajal as Los Blancos’ lone right back, Lucas Vazquez and Eder Militao are arguably better options to replace Carvajal, who will be suspended for the upcoming La Liga fixture against Real Valladolid, in the lineup.
Note that the 24-year-old will not be able to play for Bayern in the Champions League this season, so Madridistas won’t have to worry about a “revenge game” if the seemingly inevitable Real vs. Bayern tie takes place this year.