Real Madrid are plotting to have a galactic attacking line lead their team from the 2022/23 season, to entertain the Nuevo Santiago Bernabeu. It is an open secret that the club are preparing to sign Kylian Mbappe this summer, with the possibility of Erling Haaland’s signing as well. Signing the two generational talents of this decade would simply make the club unstoppable in attack, with Vini Jr. and Karim Benzema there to give them a wonderful company.
But there are still five months before we start planning for the next season, and we have to focus on all the competitions in which we are alive. Karim Benzema and Vinicius Jr have formed a terrific partnership in attack, but they haven’t been able to form an equally brilliant front three, as the position of the right-winger has always been an issue of concern.
Gareth Bale was expected to be the first choice for the right-wing, but he has had his own fitness issues and he hasn’t played a minute for Real Madrid since the 28th of August, 2021. Eden Hazard has played there, but he has been a hit or a miss, and he is fitness-wise he has been unreliable. Marco Asensio and Rodrygo, who are considered to be the players for the future, have got their share of minutes, but they haven’t been able to make the spot their own due to their inconsistency.
Fitness-wise, the right-wing options have been unreliable, and form-wise, they have been unpredictable. With a tight schedule coming up in the next few months, which could potentially shape the result of the season, there is a need for the club to have a proper plan.
They need to set their priorities straight, and Carlo Ancelotti should be expected to make more rotations and give more minutes to the substitutes. Rotations are needed for the sake of the team’s fitness, and also to get an understanding of who’s the best option available.
One such player who should be a part of the rotation policy is Peter Federico, the latest Castilla sensation. People who are used to watching Castilla’s games would know about his potential, and only first-team watchers would have had a glimpse of him in LaLiga, with him getting to play around 11 minutes in two games. In such a little amount of time, he managed to set up Luka Jovic with a low cross, against Bilbao and gave Getafe a teaser of his quick and flashy footwork. Those 11 minutes aren’t enough for fans to get an idea of him, and there are a lot of reasons why the Dominican deserves more minutes with the first team.
Peter’s profile suits the Real Madrid system perfectly
Sergio Arribas and Peter Gonzalez are two of my favourite Castilla players, and I believe they can be a solution to our right-wing issues this season. But Arribas has been unlucky this season, as Ancelotti has rigidly stuck to his 4-3-3, and there is no space for a no.10 like Arribas in that system. He can play as an RW, but he has been used as a ten by Raul. He was about to be called up for a LaLiga fixture, but unfortunately, he tested positive for COVID-19 just hours before the game.
But the positional problem isn’t evident in Peter’s case, as he is a pure winger with the ability to play well on both wings. The reason why I feel he suits the Real Madrid brand of attacking football well is that his pace and creative abilities from the wide areas can be very useful to any manager. He is predominantly a wide player with a habit of whipping in dangerous crosses into the box with his left boot from time to time, but he has some other skills which make him unique and lethal.
Peter, being a left-footed player who plays on the right wing most of the time, has a very unique dribbling technique. There are tight-space dribblers on the right like Brahim Diaz and Takefusa Kubo, who have a dribbling style similar to that of Leo Messi and often try to cut inside with their left. But Peter’s technique is a bit different, as he often tries to poke the ball past the defenders and beat them on pace, instead of being a typical inverted winger. He seldom gets into dangerous shooting and crossing positions with this technique, making him look a mirror image of the 18-year-old version Vinicius at times, with better control and better crossing skills.
He isn’t a completely entertaining player, but he is something different from the current right-wingers we have in our team. And he does provide the end product as well, with some wonderful finishes or lovely assists. Though he wants to go all on his own at times, he is mostly a team player with great confidence. Watch this set of videos to get a complete understanding of Peter Gonzalez.
Practically, it is very difficult to predict if Peter will get more first-team minutes in the remainder of the season. Carlo Ancelotti has rarely used Miguel Gutierrez and Antonio Blanco, who were tipped to be having a better role this season. It is understandable because Real Madrid have a huge squad with star-studded names, where it is difficult for everyone to get minutes.
But in a situation filled with players who haven’t been able to consistently perform or maintain their fitness, I think academy players like Peter deserve a chance. The season is long, and we can expect more injuries. To at least avoid an injury crisis, Don Carlo should rotate and give chance to these underrated and talented players, who could potentially be our future stars. It is difficult to imagine them getting to start a game, but an early substitution wouldn’t be a huge ask.