The Real Madrid loanee who is already impressing Zinedine Zidane
Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has been just as impressed by one of his loanees as the fans have been.
There’s a myth among some Madridistas that Zinedine Zidane has something against Brahim Diaz. While Brahim did not feature much for Real Madrid in 2019-2020, this belief could not be further from the truth. Zidane believes in Brahim, who simply needed to go out on loan to find playing time consistently, given how crowded the forward positions are in Madrid.
So Brahim joined AC Milan on loan for the 2020-2021 season, with Real wisely resisting including an option to buy for the talented, two-footed wide forward.
It hasn’t taken long for Brahim to find his footing in Serie A, and he has helped the Rossoneri lead the league ahead of Juventus and the underrated Sassuolo. Brahim has very much been a key part of Milan’s resurgence with his pressing and finishing.
According to a report from Sergio Santos Chozas of AS, Zinedine Zidane is “delighted” with Brahim Diaz’s progress and performances on loan at Milan thus far. Zidane also reportedly views Brahim as a “fundamental” part of the team’s future.
Brahim Diaz is showing he has a future at Real Madrid
There have been questions about Brahim’s long-term place in the squad because of how competitive Real is. Takefusa Kubo, Rodrygo Goes, Martin Odegaard, and Vinicius Junior are all young players who can get minutes at the wide forward positions. Eden Hazard isn’t going anywhere. And Marco Asensio is a capable option.
Brahim is showing that he is an excellent player in his own right with three goals in all competitions. He arguably has a better eye for goal than any of those players right now, and it is easy to forget that the former Manchester City prospect is still just 21.
It’s great to hear that Zidane is pleased with Brahim, whom he encouraged to go on loan. Milan has been a great spot for the Spanish international, and Brahim is the kind of player whose development can accelerate quickly now that he has playing time and is developing a sense of consistency with a club.
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In addition to the goals, Brahim is averaging two dribbles completed per game in both Serie A and the Europa League, according to WhoScored.com. Brahim also has 1.7 key passes per game in the Europa League and 2.0 fouls drawn per game and 1.7 fouls drawn per game in league play and European football, respectively. He is excelling in every sense.