5 Real Madrid players who will feel serious pressure next season

RB Dani Carvajal

To be honest, Dani Carvajal more than made up for his struggles during the season with a sensational performance in the Champions League Final, shutting down one of the world’s most electric forwards in Luis Diaz. Carvajal reminded football fans all over that he is the king of the right back position, for all his faults against Kylian Mbappe and Ferran Torres in back-to-back contests a few months ago.

But Real Madrid fans, as much as they respect Carvajal and are grateful to him, remain nervous about the right back position. It is a position in need of reinforcements but unlikely to be reinforced by the club in the summer 2022 transfer window. Reece James is a long-term target, but there is no way Real can sign him this summer. Even trying for him in 2023 will be difficult.

So it is going to be another year of Carvajal and Lucas Vazquez, perhaps with Alvaro Odriozola returning from loan at Fiorentina to make it the same three options as in the 2020/21 season in which Real went trophyless.

It is a risk and there is a lot on Carvajal’s shoulders to stay healthy and be consistent, which he failed to do for much of the past few seasons. At his best, Carvajal is still one of the top right backs in the world. But Madridistas are concerned he can show that level for 38 Matchdays plus the Champions League.