Real Madrid Transfers: Why Serge Gnabry is the main alternative to Erling Haaland
With the supposed Erling Haaland release clause deadline approaching, there hasn’t been any real sign of this saga ending before then or by the start of the transfer window. Real Madrid and Manchester City have been widely reportedly being neck and neck in the race for the forward’s signature, even with Madrid having Karim Benzema, who’s arguably in the driver’s seat for the Ballon d’Or.
So given Benzema’s current form, would losing out on the Norwegian’s signature be that much of a loss? No, but Los Blancos have lacked top-quality depth in many positions this year, especially in the front line, which has cost the club on many occasions this season.
Given his ties to the Manchester club, it’s not far-fetched that the Dortmund forward would try taking his talents first to England before making a jump to Spain. And if that’s the case, then insert Serge Gnabry as the next man up for Madrid.
Gnabry, 26, has become one of the most versatile players at his position since joining Bayern Munich back in 2017 and has recently been linked with a switch to the Spanish capital with contract talks with Bayern Munich at a standstill.
Serge Gnabry would bring more consistency to the Real Madrid attack
His profile and skillset as a winger is something that is very attractive to Los Blancos considering their options on the right wing have been sub-par this season.
Unlike the likes of Asensio, Rodrygo, or Bale this season, Gnabry would bring more stability health and performance-wise on the wings for Madrid.
In 166 appearances, the former Arsenal man has produced 61 goals and 40 assists for the Bavarians.
At Bayern, the German international fly under the radar because of the talented roster around him, but he makes Bayern’s transitional play one of the most dangerous in the world.
He’s comfortable dribbling and scoring with both feet and his off-the-ball movement is simple yet elegant, helping make transitional link-up play seamless when hugging the wings or when cutting centrally.
The former Arsenal man loves to create quick one-twos into movements down the wing or into a scoring chance with his strikers, which we’ve seen Benzema and Vinicius have so much success with this year.
And where some wingers may hesitate with their decision-making around the box, Gnabry does not fit this mold. Not only can he beat defenders with his blistering pace one-v-one but he also has a quick first touch off pressure that allows him to pinpoint which corner of the net to target.
Depending on what happens with other incomings (i.e. Mbappe and Haaland), Gnabry could prove to be one of the more underrated signings Madrid could make this summer because of the need for quality depth on the wings.
His lack of indecisiveness and pure skill is exactly what Madrid will need heading into next season as other La Liga and Champions League clubs retool their squads for the new campaign.
And as we’ve seen this season, Carlo Ancelotti loves to provide minutes to players he can rely on consistently. Gnabry is one of those players.
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Because his contract expires next summer, the winger might come at a hefty price of around 50-70 million euros. Nonetheless, if Gnabry does decide to leave Real Madrid would be in good standing considering Gnabry’s relationship with former teammates David Alaba and Toni Kroos.