One underrated way Florentino Perez is seeing the bigger picture for Real Madrid this summer
Real Madrid were not the favorites to win the Champions League going into the 2021/22 season, but with a squad based around elite veterans with three or four Champions League to their names, a group of hungry youngsters who knew their role, and an unselfish cast of role players, Los Blancos had the perfect mix of chemistry and passion to beat any opponent on football’s grandest stage.
Florentino Perez must be credited with believing in players like Vinicius Jr., who were heavily criticized before the season started but ended up being elite contributors to the title. Vini, of course, scored in the final.
And Perez, Juni Calafat, and other decision-makers must be credited with identifying other young talents like Eder Militao and Eduardo Camavinga, who were signed in recent transfer windows and have fit the ID of the club to a “t”.
But of course, Perez and Madrid do not rest on their laurels, basking in the glory of victory. They want more. The summer transfer window has already yielded two high-level signings in free agent center back Antonio Rudiger and a young midfielder who is already world-class in Aurelien Tchouameni.
Florentino Perez knows Real Madrid must value continuity
More important than the signings, though, is Perez’s value of continuity. Perez has been actively keeping the club’s best players and signing them to extensions. This is nothing new, he has frequently done this. But Perez has been especially proactive this summer, and everything we have heard relayed from Spanish media states that Flo views these extensions as even more important than the new signings.
He is right.
Real Madrid have already extended Luka Modric for a year, which was a mere formality. They are on the precipice of doing the sam with Vinicius Jr., giving their newest superstar a well-deserved raise in the process. Fellow young winger Rodrygo Goes will be next. And another great Brazilian youngster, Eder Militao, is on the list of extensions.
Perez knows that to build a true juggernaut, you need to keep that core of players together for as long as possible. You cannot keep everyone, but the people who will be among the best at their position for the next five years and fit the club’s identity must be retained for the long haul.
Next. Vinicius Jr. rejected outrageous offer from PSG to renew with Real Madrid. dark
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That is exactly what Perez is doing. One day Vini, Militao, Rodrygo, Fede Valverde, and the rest of the high-end young talents at Madrid will be like Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Casemiro, Karim Benzema, Dani Carvajal, and the elite veterans of today. They will be the leaders steadying the ship for the youngsters. Keeping everyone on board is the clear priority, and credit to Perez for not underestimating how much continuity means.