Real Madrid have a big-picture question in midfield to ponder

Real Madrid have one of the most revered midfield trios in world football. Casemiro, Toni Kroos, and Luka Modric have not been at their best this season due to a combination of injuries and fatigue, but there are few concerns regarding their ability to get back on track this season. And in the summer, Real added Eduardo Camavinga to a midfield that already contained one of the world’s burgeoning center-mids in Fede Valverde.

That said, while Real have talented long-term pieces in the middle of the park, questions remain regarding the make-up of this group over the next several years. Specifically this question, do they need to sign another midfielder in 2022? And as a corollary to that question, who?

Real Madrid must take stock of their strengths and weaknesses in midfield, and they must be brutally honest about some key players. Is Casemiro’s poor passing too costly as football changes? How much longer can Modric be an every-game starter? And perhaps the wild card question of them all, can Antonio Blanco develop into a Madrid-level starter?

There are reasons to give optimistic answers to each of those questions. But when the bar is set as high as it is at Real Madrid, you cannot help but take a pessimistic mindset. Sports are ruled by the most paranoid of decision-makers. The ones who do not leave things to chance and are willing to make unpopular decisions that pay off in the long run. Real’s decision to swap Sergio Ramos for David Alaba, for example, can be seen as one of those decisions.

Real Madrid could have interest in future midfield stars

Aurelien Tchouameni, Houssem Aouar, and Nicolo Barella are some of the young talents linked to Real Madrid in center midfield. Jude Bellingham could be a dream get. Christopher Nkunku and Florian Wirtz are attacking midfielders on the radar. And when it comes to established names, nobody captures the attention of Madridistas more than upcoming free agent Paul Pogba.

There is plenty of time before the 2022 market opens and Real have to make some tough decisions. Isco will be off the books, Modric will sign a new deal, and Kroos and Casemiro are locked in. Camavinga and Valverde will continue to progress. We may know more about Blanco’s potential, too. Dani Ceballos will likely make way, leading to a space opening up in midfield for someone else to step in.

A player like Pogba, for free, would potentially be too good to pass up on. That is, if Manchester United aren’t able to keep him first, which now seems likely. If Pogba is off the table, the question is less about prospect vs. star and more about, is creativity or defensive ability prioritized by Florentino Perez?

Real need to carefully study the roster and think about what their lingering weakness in the middle of the park is. If you ask me, it’s a midfielder who can both provide astute defensive coverage and calm passing. That opinion is subject to change, though, and, at the end of the day, it all falls on the shoulders of Real’s front office to decide how they want to play in midfield in the next five years and who they want to bring in to achieve this stylistic goal.