Real Madrid: 5 players competing in AFCON 2022 to monitor as transfer targets
Morocco RB Achraf Hakimi
The center-back and the right-back are the two priority positions that Real Madrid should look to improve in the next transfer window in my opinion. Real Madrid’s first-choice right-back Dani Carvajal hasn’t been consistent with his services without any fault of his own. He is very injury-prone and while he made his return in the Supercopa semifinal against Barcelona, he is again out for the final. This time being infected by COVID. The Spaniard has been very unlucky, to say the least.
Zinedine Zidane’s greatest deception in the make-shift right-back Lucas Vazquez has been covering for Carvajal. However, we cannot overlook that he is shaky and has made every watching fan nervous this season at the position. While Vazquez gets the job done he isn’t an ideal solution.
Real also has one right-back away at loan. Alvaro Odriozola, who is playing his football in Italy with Fiorentina. He has done an impressive job so far with the Serie A outfit but if he’d rise to the levels Real Madrid would want him to is a constant question without an instant answer. Therefore, my pick from the AFCON is an obvious winner of this list, Real Madrid’s Academy product, Achraf Hakimi. I had another brilliant option to pick in Ajax’s Noussair Mazraoui. But, he isnt playing in AFCON and hence, misses out on a spot on this list. He did appear on our list of overlooked defensive targets.
Yes, Hakimi still dreams of a return to the Spanish Capital, his former coach, Antonio Conte made it quite obvious which is why he landed up in our list of players who dream of a move to Madrid. Hakimi’s signing would make perfect sense given the situation Real Madrid is undergoing at right-back.
It’s unbelievable how useful of a player Hakimi is. He can play as a full-back or in the midfield as well as score goals like a perfect forward. All of that with some unreal pace on the ball, his explosive attacking runs are a delight to watch and at just 23 years of age, Hakimi would be a brilliant player to bring back to the Bernabeu.
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He’d solve the problem at right-back and would be the perfect heir to Dani Carvajal who is nearing his thirties and would be feeling the need of a rotational partner. Even without taking the fatigue or injury issues into account, having a quality backup option is always the smarter way out.