Real Madrid: 5 players who are better than you think

2. Alvaro Odriozola

Alvaro Odriozola’s signing came as a shock to many fans when the Right Back was signed back in 2018 from Real Sociedad for a fee of €30m. It was not only because Dani Carvajal was doing really great at the time but also because we already had Achraf Hakimi as a backup.

Julen Lopetegui was the one who was interested in Odriozola and the one who wanted him in Madrid. But, Odriozola wasn’t good enough after which Zinedine Zidane decided to send the youngster on a short-term loan at Bayern Munich where he didn’t get much of game time.

Carvajal’s injury at the start of the last season was the right chance for Odriozola but he himself got injured. Lucas Vazquez stepped up as a third choice Right Back in such a situation and his great displays managed to get him up in Zidane’s preferences. But ever since Vazquez too got injured in the El Clasico, Odriozola came on as he recovered on time.

It was the last chance Odriozola could’ve got and fairly speaking, Odriozola did his best to redeem it. His display was impressive in the El Clasico and he was sharp defensively. Alvaro really started turning the tides in his favor ever since he scored his first goal of the season against Cadiz. He was fully confident and highly impressive. He then managed to score a second goal against Granada.

Even after some great performances, he didn’t get the respect he deserved from the fans. Apart from this, Carvajal had an injury-ridden season and Vazquez is already 30. In such cases, Odriozola seems to be a really good backup and could be crucial for the future. So, in my opinion, despite rumors of his transfer, he could be a great asset and Real must hold on to him and he must get the respect he deserves.