Ranking the top five left back options for Real Madrid in 2022/23
Real Madrid‘s left-back contingent has been the same for the last three seasons, with Ferland Mendy and captain Marcelo remaining the club’s first-choice and second-choice respectively. The joint most decorated Real Madrid player of all time and the best full-back of his generation, Marcelo, had remained the club’s first-choice player until 2018. But age had finally caught up with him, and the club had to get a starting left-back in Mendy.
But next season, we will see a change in the composition of Real Madrid’s defence, as Marcelo’s contract is expiring this summer, and he will be leaving Real Madrid after spending 16 seasons at his dream club. Some reports suggest that Marcelo might retire this summer, but nothing is clear at the moment, and it would be interesting to see what decision will be taken by Marcelo.
Someone has to fill in the spot vacated by Marcelo, and Real Madrid does have a direct replacement available in Castilla. But there has been speculation in recent weeks that the club might sign a left-back this summer.
We don’t know if the club will definitely sign a new left-back this summer, but we can definitely rank the best left-back options for Real Madrid in the 2022/23 season, keeping all the possible situations in mind. So let us have a look at the best possible left-back options for the club next season.
5. Sergio Reguilon
Ever since the rumours of Real Madrid looking to sign a left-back surfaced on the internet, names like Angelino, Sergio Reguilon and Jose Gaya have been linked to Los Blancos. While Angelino doesn’t really suit Real Madrid’s system, Jose Gaya is expected to renew his contract with Valencia. This leaves us with only one name, that is Sergio Reguilon.
Sergio Reguilon being a La Fabrica graduate and a former first-team player isn’t a new name for Madridistas. He made a reputation for himself in the 2018/19 season, as he had displaced Marcelo from Real’s starting XI. He then headed to Sevilla on loan, where had a successful spell, and was then signed by Tottenham Hotspur for a sum of 30 million euros. He didn’t really have the best of times at Spurs, where he had his own share of troubles with injuries. But now he is slowly establishing himself as a wingback under Conte, registering one goal and three assists in the Premier League this season. He hasn’t played a lot of late, but he has been a better player this season.
Real Madrid does have a buyback clause of 45 million euros, but I think there is a very low chance of the club deciding to spend such a huge amount for a second-choice left-back. And I doubt if Reguilon himself wants to come back to Madrid as a second-choice player when he’s just becoming a more important player for the Spurs. He’s really an unrealistic option for the club, and we can expect to see a move for him only when there’s a desperate situation.