Real Madrid: Ranking the club’s four most valuable player-swap assets
The transfer window is truly up and running. There are new headlines every other day. Real Madrid, who are currently plagued by finances, are trying their best to work wonders. A few eventful moves have already dawned upon the Royal White club. Firstly, FC Bayern’s veteran defender, David Alaba joined the club on a free transfer. And then, Real Madrid’s veteran defender, Sergio Ramos left for Paris.
The club’s priority has been set straight for quite some time now. They want to sign a forward and freshen up the attack that currently is heavily dependent on Karim Benzema. As such, player-swaps are pretty much on the cards. AS recently reported that there may be a swap deal finalized between Raphael Varane and Paul Pogba of Manchester United, although that is looking unlikely now. However, It would make sense to scan through the squad and select a few potential player-swap assets. Here is a ranked list of four such players.
Real Madrid’s Spanish defender Alvaro Odriozola celebrates after scoring a goal during the Spanish League football match between Cadiz and Real Madrid at the Ramon de Carranza stadium in Cadiz on April 21, 2021. (Photo by JORGE GUERRERO / AFP) (Photo by JORGE GUERRERO/AFP via Getty Images)
4. ALVARO ODRIOZOLA
The first player on the list is someone who impressed people with his performances towards the end of the season. Alvaro Odriozola had to pilot responsibilities at the right-back position following Dani Carvajal’s absence due to injuries and Lucas Vazquez’s injury in the second Clasico of the league.
Odriozola was brought in from Real Sociedad in the summer of 2018. He had impressed in the 2017-18 season with La Real which resulted in this interest for him from Real Madrid. However, he hasn’t been able to leave a big mark with the club in three years since his arrival. He also was sent away on loan to FC Bayern to develop further.
However, the best contribution we saw from the fullback was towards the closing of last season’s La Liga campaign. He scored two crucial goals and developed a great partnership with the forwards. His movement was positive and he ensured plenty of service for the players inside the box. In the end, he stayed a key contributor to Los Blancos’ season.
These attributes can invite the interests of a few good European clubs, which makes him a good player-swap asset to have in the squad. With Dani Carvajal ready to start the season and Lucas Vazquez shining in the right-back position, the club can afford to swap him and bring in a more attack-based player in his place.