Real Madrid shouldn’t let go of Achraf Hakimi

The La Liga season isn’t over but it’s that time of year again, transfer rumors. Loanee Achraf Hakimi could be heading to Inter Milan, but is that the right move for either party?

Rumors started to surface last week that Achraf Hakimi would be leaving Real Madrid and taking his talents to Inter Milan. The Moroccan international joined Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund in July of 2018 on a two-year deal. Cometh the hour and it seems as though Achraf does not want to return to his parent club.

This isn’t the first time rumors have swirled about the 21-year-old defender. After just one season in the Bundesliga, Hakimi proved himself to be a force and Dortmund wanted to make the deal a permanent one.

Real Madrid currently has a plethora of talent out on loan, most of them quite young, showing plenty of promise and far from their prime. Defensively, there aren’t as many options as there are up front. Filling the right-back position is the focus and critically so.

Today, Dani Carvajal occupies the position of right-back and rightfully so. The academy product earned the right and like any player, he’s had his ups and downs in form but for the most part, he has been top class.

Issues arise if he were to get injured. Real Madrid currently has no true right-back to take his place but would instead elect to make use of Ferland Mendy, a left-back, or Nacho Fernandez – better known as Mr. Utility – if he was healthy of course. Just a couple of seasons ago we saw Lucas Vazquez take up that spot in the defensive line.

Right now, Real Madrid has three wing-backs on loan: Sergio Reguillon (Sevilla), Alvaro Odriozola (Bayern Munich), and of course the focus of the discussion – Achraf Hakimi. Out of the three options, there is no question who takes first place.

Reguillon is quickly considered the last option simply because he is a left-back. Converting a player to play on the opposite wing is no joke and sometimes impossible. Additionally, he has his own battle to fight with Ferland Mendy who has come in and shone brightly in his own respect.

Next is Alvaro Odriozola who is on loan with Bayern Munich until the end of this month. The Spanish right-back was sent over to the Bundesliga in the January transfer window as he was deemed a surplus. A player being sent out in the middle of the season is a clear indication that he is most likely not in the club’s future plans.

This quickly leaves us with Achraf Hakimi. He joined the club in 2006 and 14 years later he could be leaving. There’s an incredibly strong case to make as to why he should stick around.

The stats show that he has been one of the best defenders not only in the Bundesliga but in all of Europe this season. An analysis by Squawka Football found that out of 331 wing-backs who played at least 900 minutes this season in Europe’s Top 5 leagues, Hakimi is the only one with four or more touches inside the opponent’s box and three or more recoveries inside his defensive third per 90-minutes.

It’s not an easy decision for the player or Real Madrid but finding a way to keep him with the club is of utmost importance. It may be too soon to tell Carvajal to take a back seat, but Hakimi has shown he can adjust.

Real Madrid has always had a dominant force in their wing-backs, making them an important part of the attack and finding someone else to do just that is no small feat.

Los Blancos seem to have it all together when it comes to their future plans, just take a look at Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo Goes both of whom have played a strong role since the restart of football.

The best offense is the best defense and Achraf Hakimi is among the best.

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