Real Madrid might lose Lucas Vazquez for free as his contract runs out in June 2021. He was brought back in the summer of 2015 and has been a great servant for his boyhood club Real Madrid for six seasons, but his fruitful stint in the Spanish capital might be coming to an end this season. He has been very important for the club as a versatile and utility player, who never complained about anything.
There is still time for a potential renewal, but the talks haven’t gone well and everything hints at an exit. Lucas, being a definite starter for the club this season, has earned the right to decide his future and increase his demands after everything he has done for the club. He has been important for Real Madrid, but it looks like the club has found his replacement.
According to MARCA, Real Madrid have set their eyes on the 24-year-old winger Jorge de Frutos and are planning to buy him back after just one season at Levante. Real Madrid sold de Frutos to Levante for a rumoured fee of 5 million euros, but they had faith in the Spaniard and retained 50% of his rights.
Jorge de Frutos has had an excellent season so far and has produced 3 goals and 10 assists for Levante in 1612 minutes, including a goal from the half-way line against Atletico Madrid. He has shown a lot of glimpses of his quality, and he has been consistent as well. But is he the right pick for Real Madrid as the replacement for Lucas Vazquez?
What strengths could Jorge de Frutos bring to Real Madrid?
He has the ability to play on both the wings and dribble past defenders using his pace and some neat and quick footwork. He can give the final pass on a regular basis, and create chances with ease from the wings. His positional sense is great and he’s a decent finisher as well.
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This skillful player has the ability to bring some energy to the wings and generate some excitement in the fans. His skill-set is enough to generate a lot of hype, and it’s safe to say that he has been one of the rising stars in LaLiga this season. But there is one risk associated with his signing though.
He has been predominantly a player suited for teams with a fast-paced approach and counter-attacking gameplay. Zidane’s team has the ability to win the ball and launch quick counter-attacks down the wing, but most of the times they face a low-block. So far he didn’t have much experience against low-block and his signing is going to be a calculative risk.
De Frutos is a La Fabrica graduate, having played for Real Madrid Castilla in the 2018/19 season. If de Frutos knows that he is not going to be a first-choice player here and he has to win his place with effort, and if he’s ready to accept his role, then he is going to be a like-to-like replacement for Lucas Vazquez.
Real Madrid already has a lot of talent on the wings, and it might not make sense to some people that they’re linked to another winger. But out of the current wingers, Asensio has been disappointing, Rodrygo has been inconsistent, Vinicius has lacked the end product, Brahim and Kubo are still learning. Not to forget that there is a loanee called Reinier Jesus, who has been non-existent for Borussia Dortmund.
Some of the above players might be more talented than de Frutos. But the position of Lucas isn’t just about skills or stepovers and crosses. It’s about patience, loyalty, effort, and the willingness to step up when required. And technically, none of the wingers has shown the work-rate on the right wing which was been shown by Lucas. Real Madrid can’t wait for someone to step up and the best they can do is to look for an instant solution, which is de Frutos’ signing here.
Financially, he’s going to come cheap. Apparently, Levante is demanding 15 million euros for de Frutos, and they’ve recognised interest from Sevilla in recent weeks. But Real Madrid has the edge here, as they have 50% of Jorge’s rights, and they can get the player, who can be a great addition to the depleting Spanish contingent of Real Madrid, for a reduced price. In these pandemic times, Jorge de Frutos might look like the perfect solution for this club whore trying to minimize their budget.
In my opinion, Real Madrid should sign Jorge de Frutos as a replacement for Lucas Vazquez, but only on one condition that de Frutos is willing to accept a bench role and fight for a starting position. At Real Madrid a player cannot demand a spot, they’ve to earn their spot through hard work, as Lucas Vazquez did.