Real Madrid have found an ideal place to loan attack-minded players

Not every player who has the potential to play for Real Madrid is ready to make an impact on the first team, and this statement is especially true for attackers at the club. The standard are so high and the spots are so limited that many promising players must prove themselves and get minutes on loan at other European clubs.

In the 2021-2022 season, Real have Reinier Jesus on loan at Dortmund in the Bundesliga, Takefusa Kubo back at Mallorca in LaLiga, and both Borja Mayoral and Brahim Diaz scoring goals in Serie A. Though a defender, right back Alvaro Odriozola is more renowned for his attacking pace, and he recently moved to a resurgent Fiorentina side.

Notice that half of the high-profile attacking loanees are in Serie A, with Odriozola also joining them. I do not see this as a coincidence. Even if these loans were all made independent of each other, there is a sensible method to this pattern and something for Madridistas to ponder when future loan decisions are made.

Not every Madrid player can be loaned within LaLiga, which may be seen as ideal in order to build familiarity with his unique league focused on technique and breaking down low blocks that are often physical. Most players will have to go elsewhere.

Serie A has treated Mayoral and Brahim well

Ligue 1 largely isn’t competitive enough. The Bundesliga is exciting, but their brand of football is not as translatable to LaLiga. The learning curve is too steep. So Serie A becomes a happy medium. A league with technique and some similar traits to the club football at the highest level in Spain, yet it is more open, exciting, and thus forgiving to young attackers who need more space to find that confidence.

Notice how Mayoral exploded last season at Roma for the best year of his career. Or how Brahim has found his footing at a highly competitive Milan side, showing efficiency in transitions and in front of goal that we could not see in his very limited minutes at Real Madrid. Even Odriozola is showing subtle signs of growth at Fiorentina.

Serie A is currently averaging the most goals per 90 of any league. The same was true last season, as Italian football averaged .02 more goals per match than the Bundesliga. But while this league traditionally known for its defending is now the most free-scoring, the level of competition is not criticized. There are many good clubs in Italy. Juventus is not as strong as they once were. But I don’t think anyone would want to face Inter, Napoli (winners of all seven of their matches), Roma, Milan, Sassuolo, Atalanta, Lazio, even this Juve, or even Fiorentina.

Keep an eye out for more loans to Italy. Luka Jovic continues to generate interest from Serie A, while Fiorentina also have interest and may even want to take on another Real Madrid loanee in Borja Mayoral should things fail to work out at Roma.

Real Madrid have watched as Reiner has floundered in the Bundesliga without so much of a chance to shine at Dortmund, who had treated Achraf Hakimi so well, albeit at a much less competitive position. Perhaps Reinier could be the next man to move to Italy. If not him, don’t be surprised if a couple of more youngsters rising through the ranks in Madrid go to Serie A as a preferred destination in the White House.