Real Madrid spent 140 million euros on Yan Diomande to set a new transfer record, but the Ivorian winger has yet to start a game. And that is because Arda Guler has been starting on the right wing in an inverted playmaker role under Jose Mourinho, and he has been so prolific this season with 19 key passes in three starts that many Real Madrid fans are viewing him as the joint Player of the Season through four Matchdays alongside Jude Bellingham, arguably the best player in the world right now.
It won't be long, though, until Diomande gets into the Real Madrid starting XI. Mourinho and Florentino Perez have too much invested in Diomande to keep him on the bench, and, publicly, the Portuguese manager has made it clear that he believes in him.
So maybe the way is to get both of these young phenoms on the pitch at the same time. Here is a starting XI to do just that.
Defense: GK Thibaut Courtois - LB Marc Cucurella - CB Ibrahima Konate - CB Dean Huijsen - RB Trent Alexander-Arnold
Real Madrid have been starting Denzel Dumfries more often than Trent Alexander-Arnold, but with how brilliant Trent was against Malaga and how fairly mediocre Dumfries has been in comparison, especially offensively, it's hard to see a world in which Trent is not the top guy at right back. Eder Militao's return from injury could mix things up, but with how well Dean Huijsen and Ibrahima Konate look as a pair, Militao will have to fight to win his job back.
Midfield: CM Bernardo Silva - CM Arda Guler - AM Jude Bellingham
Jude Bellingham is entrenched as the Real Madrid No. 10, and his ability to crash the box and score goals as a supplement to Kylian Mbappe at the striker position is imperative to how Jose Mourinho is setting his team up. He has hinted at Arda Guler playing a deeper midfield role behind Jude, then, and while Guler has been shining in that right wing role, eventually, yes, his destiny at Real Madrid is to be a true center midfielder. Bernardo Silva has outplayed Fede Valverde badly as the box to box true center midfielder, and there is no way, on merit right now, that Fede should be starting.
Forwards: LW Vinicius Junior - ST Kylian Mbappe - RW Yan Diomande
Yan Diomande has the most long term upside as a left winger so he can cut inside and shoot as a right footer, but even though most teams have moved away from traditional wide wingers, a player like Diomande as a right footer on the right wing is still super invaluable to opening up the whole attack. And that is especially true with someone like Guler in a deep lying playmaker role to feed him.
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