Real Madrid: The case for Eduardo Camavinga winning this year’s Golden Boy

Real Madrid just announced the signing of Aurelien Tchouameni from AS Monaco for a hefty price tag. But it’s the club’s marquee signing of last summer that is already garnering a lot of attention after his rookie season in Spain.

19-year-old Eduardo Camavinga quickly earned a rotation spot in Carlo Ancelotti’s squad, scoring on his La Liga debut before providing an assist to Rodrygo Goes in his Champions League debut a few days later.

Though he wasn’t nearly as involved in the attacking third for the remainder of the season, it’s safe to say that the £27.9 million signing from Rennes was well worth it! Camavinga made 26 appearances (starting 13) in the league and made 10 appearances (1 start) in the Champions League.

Madridistas are enthralled with the young Frenchman who has quickly carved out a spot as the first midfielder to replace Casemiro, Luka Modric, or Toni Kross in the second half. It’s a reduced role from what we saw when he was playing in Ligue 1, but the goal was always to buy Camavinga when he was younger for cheap, then move him into the starting XI when one of the three veteran midfielders called it quits.

Eduardo Camavinga was key to Real Madrid winning the Champions League

Eduardo Camavinga is among 100 other players to be named to the Golden Boy award list, an annual honor given out by sports journalists in Europe to the best player aged 21 or younger.

The previous three winners have been Joao Felix, Erling Haaland, and Pedri of FC Barcelona.

Camavinga may be the only Real Madrid to make the prestigious list, but he is already a favorite to win it based on his stunning play in the last 10 months.

Camavinga was emphatic in his defensive challenges and quickly set himself apart as one of the best passing midfielders in the squad. His vision combined with defensive prowess offers a nice combination of Kroos and Casemiro in terms of play style.

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The titles, immediate impact, and game-changing cameos in the Champions League knockout rounds put Camavinga ahead of talent like Jude Bellingham, Karem Adeyemi, Gavi, and more.

Camavinga will see even more minutes come the fall with his countryman and fellow Ligue 1 transplant Tchouameni arriving.

It’s safe to say the Real Madrid midfield is in great hands for the next decade with Federico Valverde, Camavinga, and Tchouameni all 23 and younger.