Eduardo Camavinga
Ligue 1 might not have the competitiveness of La Liga or Premier League, but one cannot deny the fact that the best prospects in European football emerge from France. Ferland Mendy, Karim Benzema, and Raphaël Varane, currently first-team regulars at Real Madrid, are prime examples.
Camavinga has been shimmering with brilliance for Rennes and helped them to a third spot in the league. They will play UEFA Champions League next season, which will be significant for Camavinga’s development.
Real Madrid need a backup for Casemiro, who at 28 might not have more than three to four seasons of peak football in him. Where Camavinga stands out is his excellent reading of the game. His intellect allows him to thwart any attack that the opposition might launch.
Per WhoScored.com, the 18-year old completed 1.4 interceptions p90 and 4.2 tackles p90 in Ligue 1 (Casemiro completed 1.9 interceptions and 2.7 tackles in La Liga, which shows he is at par with the Brazilian).
Rennes’ president Nicolas Holveck asserted last month that he wouldn’t listen to any offers below €80 million. With Rennes playing European football next season, Camavinga’s market value will only increase, implying that Real Madrid will have to pay an exorbitant amount to lure the defensive midfielder to the Bernabéu.
With all things said and done, it’s not a question of ‘if’, but a question of ‘when’ the player will arrive because Zidane seems to be a big admirer of Camavinga.