Real Madrid have an interesting backup midfield idea after Martin Odegaard loan
Real Madrid have sent Martin Odegaard on loan to Arsenal in the January transfer window, as the Norwegian international understandably wanted to receive more playing time. Odegaard had not played more than five minutes since the start of December, and he was tired of waiting for Zinedine Zidane to use him.
His prospects on loan at Arsenal are definitely intriguing, as he’s exactly the profile of player Mikel Arteta needs in midfield creatively. He could play a role in saving the North Londoners’ season. As for Real Madrid, Odegaard’s departure leaves them even thinner in the middle of the park, where they have superstar quality but not much depth.
In any case, they would’ve had a similar issue had it been Isco leaving to, say, Arsenal. Instead, Isco is staying in the middle of the park, and Odegaard is leaving. But now, Real must think of a sixth midfielder behind Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Casemiro, Fede Valverde, and Isco.
According to a report from Tomas Gonzalez-Martin of ABC Deportes, our favorite bald managers (sorry-not-sorry, Pep) Zinedine Zidane and David Bettoni have Lucas Vazquez marked down as their sixth midfielder. So if something were to happen to the starters and Real needed to rotate in a sixth man, which would be rare but still conceivable, then we could see Vazquez starting on the right-hand side of a three-man midfield in Real’s traditional 4-3-3 setup.
Lucas Vazquez has already displayed his versatility for Real Madrid
It’s honestly not bad for an emergency situation. Vazquez has shown his versatility this season at right back. Yes, he was disastrous against Shakhtar Donetsk and Athletic Club, but he also had absolutely brilliant performances at the position against Barcelona, Deportivo Alaves, and Borussia Monchengladbach. And those three matches were huge, pressure games this season for Real Madrid.
Vazquez has additionally stepped up his performances on the right wing. But in midfield, Vazquez would have to improve his consistency and passing. He makes up for his giveaways and positional errors with heart, effort, and great defensive work, so he should be able to do the same in midfield. That said, there are different requirements in the middle of the park.
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Nobody would expect Vazquez to carry out midfield duties at the level of Luka Modric or Fede Valverde, but if he can be passable in this role if called upon, he can do a LOT to show Real Madrid that he deserves to stay beyond the 2020-2021 campaign. He wants more money from Real, and the best way to get it is to prove that he is indeed indispensable.