Real Madrid have a lot of young talent among their ranks, and there are a bunch of players in the Castilla that are showing the club that they deserve to fight for minutes for the first team. Sergio Arribas is the star of Real’s youth setup, but he’s not the only player worth looking out for.
Juanmi Latasa is a talented striker with some upside, and Real Madrid would be wise to keep him around and develop him as the seasons go by. Who knows, he can become a useful option for when Benzema – a top 75 Real Madrid player – needs to rest. He can be a good option to have, even as early as next season, according to my colleague Kevin Parvizi.
It seems like the club feels the same way, as according to reports, Latasa would be getting an extension very soon.
According to Jose Felix Diaz, Real Madrid are close to renewing Latasa, as they see him as an asset and someone who can be important in the future as well as in the short-term.
Renewing Latasa is the right decision for all parties involved
It’s definitely good news because I rate Latasa. I think he’s got a lot of potential. I don’t think he’s the next big thing – I don’t think I rate him as highly as some other Real Madrid writers – but I still believe in his abilities and I know that if he’s able to improve season after season, Real Madrid won’t need to sign any back-up strikers. He is good enough to have a role off the bench.
To be honest, I think that if Real Madrid play Latasa in more games next season, he could have a good impact. The playing style would have to be very different because he’s not like Benzema, he doesn’t have the skillset to be Benzema’s understudy or have the team play the way it plays when Benzema is on the field. But he’s good enough to provide some goals, and his linkup and pressing are pretty solid as well.
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Of course, once it is Benzema’s time to go, the club would still sign a great striker to replace another great striker. Latasa probably won’t stop that from happening. But he gives Real an extra dimension because he’s a kind of target man that Real don’t really have right now, and it could be interesting to see if he is used next season.