Real Madrid: 4 cornerstone players for the new era

Real Madrid will still need to add some more pieces to their squad in order to create a juggernaut, but they already have a number of highly talented cornerstone players for the new era.

After Cristiano Ronaldo‘s departure in the summer 2018 transfer window, Real Madrid have been looking toward the future. Florentino Perez has put his focus on signing young stars in order to identify the next big breakout star, and the early returns on forwards Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius Junior are promising.

Los Blancos have also signed a new superstar in Eden Hazard, whose first season was ruined by two major injuries. However, when he played, he looked as-advertised.

Here are four players on Real Madrid who can be the cornerstones of the next era of the team’s greatness in La Liga and beyond.

GK Thibaut Courtois

It all starts in goal with Thibaut Courtois, who is back in the discussion as the best goalkeeper in the world. His 2018-2019 season was a disaster, but the same can be said about the performances of a number of his usually-impressive colleagues.

Courtois more than bounced back in 2019-2020, allowing the fewest goals per 90 minutes with the highest percentage of clean sheets, per FBRef.com. The Belgian’s concentration and ability to handle massive pressure from the fans and media have made him one of the most respected players at the Santiago Bernabeu.

He is a rock behind the back four, and when things break down, Courtois has shown an ability to stand tall in order to give his team a chance later in the match.