5 Real Madrid players with a point to prove next season

2. Ferland Mendy

You’ve probably heard that Real Madrid are open to bids for Ferland Mendy. This follows the signing of Antonio Rudiger, which is considered as a move in position for David Alaba from centre-back to left-back, putting Ferland Mendy’s job in jeopardy.

As monetary lucrative as it may seem, the sale of Mendy is still far away from reality and he is expected to stay despite the changes. This brings a fresh new challenge to the Frenchman’s table for next season which is to prove he is a better wing-back than David Alaba.

Mendy has undoubtedly been crucial in key games for Real Madrid (who can forget the goal-line clearance against Manchester City?) and he remains a dynamic ball defender. However, for a team that relies heavily on wing-backs in attacking progressions, Mendy falls far short, and here is where David Alaba surpasses him.

To fortify his argument, Mendy must optimise his attacking abilities while maintaining his defensive prowess. Less of anything will simply not work, as it did not in the case of Miguel Gutierrez, who had the opposite profile and is now seeking a new club after Ancelotti withdrew him from his plans. Overall, Mendy has to do a lot more.