Real Madrid: The ideal front three under Carlo Ancelotti

RW Gareth Bale/Brahim Diaz

I can’t believe I am saying this, but Gareth Bale may be a part of the solution for Real Madrid. I’ve already written that Real pretty much have to get rid of his contract in order to afford Kylian Mbappe, but that might not be 100 percent the case depending on who else they sell. So if they can make enough other sales to keep Bale around, then they should gamble on an Mbappe and Bale bookend.

But they should not go into the season with Bale as their only option. I’d love to see what Brahim Diaz can do in the first team under Carlo Ancelotti. Brahim has a lot of talent, and I don’t think Milan got the most out of him. He always impressed me when I watched the Rossoneri, yet he only got 15 starts in Serie A this past season.

It’s too much to give Brahim the responsibility of starting, but I think he’s more than good enough to be a part of the rotation. If Bale flops, Brahim will be there.

Where does Marco Asensio fit in this equation? Nowhere. In my opinion, he is not a good fit for Real Madrid. He does not play with enough intensity and is not athletic enough to be a wide player on the right-hand side for Los Blancos. Bale and Brahim, on the other hand, offer serious athletic and goal-scoring upside, even if they both have different concerns.

I’d rather take this risk than repeat the same mistake for another year with Asensio. I don’t have much faith in Bale, but if he has to stay, the club should show some faith in him. After all, he scored a LOT more goals last season than any of Real’s current wingers. Sure, they were mostly against “bad” teams, but it’s not like Real’s wingers were scoring against “bad” teams.