Real Madrid: 5 things we learned from the 2020-21 season

4. Nacho and Vázquez must be renewed:

There are some players who simply just cannot put a foot wrong – that was Lucas and Nacho this season. Wherever they were played, they did the job and they did it well. Vázquez stepped into that right-back position when Carvajal succumbed to injury and made it his own. He performed that well, fans were distraught when he too was ruled out with injury. The utility man had suddenly become more than a stop-gap, he became necessary.

Similarly to Lucas, Nacho hadn’t seen much action prior to the injuries of Sergio Ramos. Often, like Lucas, a back-up who filled in as and when. However, as the season progressed, Nacho began to look more and more like a part of the furniture. Even up until the final day, a do-or-die game for Real, Zidane opted for Nacho over Ramos.

Lucas’ contract expires this summer, Nacho has a year left on his current deal. Both have often done the thankless tasks, but now they deserve to be thanked and thanked with renewed deals for repaying the faith.

Real are not blessed with players who can step up when the glamour options are not available. Yet, Lucas and Nacho became reliable and dependable starters – they did not look out of place. Players like that are impossible to find but vital to keep a hold of.