Real Madrid: 5 things you need to know about Eduardo Camavinga

2. The new Real Madrid man’s defensive skills and the nickname, ‘Tacklevinga’

Camavinga stands out defensively as well. His tackling is excellent which is also why he is nicknamed ‘Taklevinga’ among the regular Ligue 1 opponents. His stats in tackling are in absolute elite company and he believes a tackle to be visually more appealing than an interception which is why he can be seen attempting them more often.

He often adopts a wide crouching stance before lunging forwards when the ball is slightly further from the opponent’s feet. As a child he practiced Judo which explains his balance, elasticity, and his ability to dive and then bounce back to his feet immediately. Another example of his energy and dynamism is his committed pressing. He’ll win the ball all-game and release it to more eventful areas of the pitch.

With tackling becoming such a major part of his game, his numbers on blocks are quite low, and interceptions are next to negligible. His energetic pressing can be shaped a little to give more rigor to his defensive positioning. And at nearly six feet tall, his numbers in the air also can be improved. To say the least, he would be the perfect rotational piece for Real Madrid’s midfield currently and in the long run a capable replacement for either of the aging duo of Luka Modric or Toni Kroos.