Real Madrid are busy making moves to finalize their squad for the 2022/23 season, but as they wait before they can truly make a big splash to boost their attack, Los Blancos are trying to sort out their future.
Los Blancos have a number of great prospects in Castilla who are finding it hard to get opportunities in such a loaded squad. Some of these players could very well help the first team in the future and even become stars, but they need the kind of minutes that the cannot currently get from Carlo Ancelotti.
Goal.com’s Jorge C. Picon reports, that not only are Real Madrid close to selling center back Mario Gila to one of Serie A’s most prestigious clubs, Lazio, for five million euros with 50 percent of his rights retained (essentially a buy-back clause of ten million euros), but they are also pondering a similar transfer for two more Castilla standouts.
Antonio Blanco made a name for himself on the Real Madrid first team at the end of the 2020/21 season but played just 31 minutes in LaLiga last season. Picon states that he is a candidate to be transferred with Real maintaining control over his future, implying they would do a similar deal with Blanco as they have with Gila.
Antonio Blanco and Sergio Santos could still have Real Madrid futures
The other player? He is not as known as Blanco, but he actually may have a better future path to the first team, right back Sergio Santos.
Though Santos has yet to work with the first team, he is Real Madrid’s top right back prospect. Consdering none of their first team right backs are truly ones for the future – not even loanee Alvaro Odriozola, who is now 26 years old – Santos has additional value. He may be ready for the first team, but with Odriozola likely to return from Fiorentina, his short-term path to minutes is also blocked.
Blanco has huge upside, and Real Madrid must take care with choosing his next destination. He could be a world-class midfielder, given his composure, passing accuracy, and all-around ability as an anchor in midfield. As for Santos, not much is known about his potential, but given the scarcity of right backs, his future must be monitored closely as well.
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Real Madrid have to part ways with some of their prospects, but by maintaining partial ownership over these players, they can raise the stakes and eventually welcome these young standouts back if their careers take off.