Real Madrid Transfers: Three best U-19 prospects to keep an eye on
After securing the services of Antonio Rudiger and Aurelien Tchouameni, Real Madrid looks to be on the retiring front for the summer transfer window. Florentino Perez also emphasized in a recent interview that no new signings will be made as of now, and that any new moves will largely depend on sales.
Real Madrid is a team who are always active in the scouting department and there is no doubt they will be looking to further strengthen the team with new and young faces — promoting competition for starting places among the squad and at the same time nurturing new talent for the safety of the future.
In this article, I have identified three U-19 prospects who possess a huge amount of potential for Real Madrid to keep an eye on and make a future move if the opportunity presents itself.
Ryan Cherki
Born on 17th August 2003, Ryan Cherki is one of the most exciting talents in world football at the moment. Cherki is considered the best player to work his way up from the Lyon academy since Karim Benzema. Even after missing a considerable number of games owing to an injury he suffered at the end of the 2020/21 season, the Frenchman still managed to be under the spotlight and excel at the same time.
Having the attribute of versatility, Ryan Cherki possesses the ability to play in any position enabling him to operate in either channel of the midfield as an attacking option. He is good at moving the ball forward effectively while his spatial awareness allows him to create space for others during his exceptional dribbling and in off-ball movements.
“The two clubs that were interested when we won his faith were Real Madrid and Manchester United. We want him to succeed with Lyon” — stated Lyon’s club president confirming the interest from Real Madrid in a recent interview.
Predominantly left-footed, Cherki’s preferred position is to operate from the right flank helping him to cut balls into dangerous positions with his left foot having a resemblance to Marco Asensio.
Even though he suffered an injury near the end of it, the 2020/21 season had been a fruitful season for the attacking midfielder in which he had four goal contributions (one goal and three assists) in 27 league appearances. Having played limited minutes during the 2021/22 season, he still managed to contribute the same amount (two goals, two assists) and always stood out on the pitch whenever he was playing.
Real Madrid should keep an eye on him, while stiff competition from other top European clubs is expected as he enters the final year of his contract with Lyon.