Real Madrid have a pretty thin squad at this point of time with very little to no cover in a number of positions across the pitch. But if there is one area where they are stacked, it is in the middle of the park. Legends like Luka Modric and Toni Kroos are complemented by youngsters like Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde, while Dani Ceballos is a decent option to have as well.
Thus, even the departure of a legend like Casemiro has not hurt the Real Madrid midfield terribly and they could do without making a signing to replace him. That just speaks of their strength in that area of the pitch.
One player who could have been a big part of Real Madrid’s future though is Martin Odegaard, who is playing some tremendous football at the moment and is a huge reason why Arsenal are sitting at the top of the Premier League table.
Gary Lineker has admitted that he is baffled by the fact that Real Madrid let Odegaard slip away. As reported by the Mirror, the former Barcelona star said on Match of the Day:
"“Do you know what baffles me a little bit, is how have Real Madrid let him slip away when they’ve got Modric and Kroos, who are really at the end of their careers?“It’s a strange one because he’s so clearly talented, isn’t he?”"
Lineker left baffled by Real Madrid’s decision to let Odegaard go
It is not just that Real Madrid let Odegaard go but also the fact that they let him leave for a relatively low transfer fee, considering the situation of the current market.
Arsenal signed the Norwegian international for a transfer fee around £30 million plus a further £4 million in add-ons. That is looking like a massive bargain, as Odegaard is performing brilliantly for the Gunners and it appears to have been a mistake on the part of Real Madrid to not only let him go but for that kind of figure as well.
The big question is – would Odegaard be a regular in this current Los Blancos midfield, if he had stayed on?