Pretty much half of the Real Madrid squad can be filed under a column of players who have greatly hurt their perception in world football this season with the Merengues mired in turmoil and staring down the barrel of a second straight trophyless season, which is a fate akin to relegation in the eyes of long time president Florentino Perez.
But with Flo practically married to Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe, particularly the latter, the star player at Real Madrid who faces the most threat of an immediate consequence this summer transfer window is Eduardo Camavinga.
The young midfielder is still just 23, but everyone, even fans outside of Madrid, can only sum up the Frenchman as a player who has promise but has shown no real progress in his now five seasons at Real Madrid.
Eduardo Camavinga is between a rock and a hard place
From playing a crucial role off the bench in massive Champions League knockout ties as a Real Madrid rookie in that magical 2021/22 season to winning the trophy again in 2023/24, Camavinga was in a great spot for the Royal Whites and even showing further value as a great teammate and squad player with his willingness and ability to put in world class shifts at left back.
But nothing we have seen from the former Rennes sensation in 2025/26 has been world class. By now, Camavinga, who was bossing PSG on his lonesome at 16, was supposed to be one of the world's elite players - not just box to box midfielders.
Instead, Eduardo Camavinga has cost Real Madrid with mental blunders in both mundane games against lower level La Liga sides and big Champions League clashes like their quarterfinals exit against European Clasico rivals Bayern Munich.
Real Madrid and Florentino Perez will want to continue exercising restraint with making any big decisions on Camavinga, on one hand. Because he is young, he is so talented, and the theoretical with Cama is so enticing. And beyond theoretical, we have seen great things from him in a Real Madrid shirt before, even if it has not been these last two seasons.
On the other hand, though, Real Madrid have to be ruthless. The only way to win and get back to being the best is to have the best players, and Camavinga is not one of the best. Real Madrid need a player who can read and control games at the 6. Cama is not that. And if Real bring Nico Paz back from Como, then, adding in Fede Valverde and Jude Bellingham, they will have three top class No. 8's who are at a higher technical and tactical level than Camavinga - and pretty much just as good athletically.
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