Real Madrid is not your usual club. It is a club with a rich history, a number of accolades and some highly talented players who were the best in the business at some point in time. It is this knack of signing the great players that made this club a media magnet with the limelight always zeroed in on those stars.
With a history of lavish spending on players that their system never required, they garnered a lot of criticism. But that didn’t stop them as they have continued their tradition and have accumulated crown jewels who would be absolute kings at any other club.
At Real Madrid, however, they are just another normal fish in the ocean. Here are 5 such players.
1) Alvaro Morata
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Even though he might not have been a starter at Juventus, Alvaro Morata’s rise in the football fraternity has been a stunning one. A lot of teams are still trying their best to acquire his services and their willingness to pay big bucks for him proves how far he has come as a footballer in the last two years.
With his market value quoted to be around €75 million, he could be labelled as a star, but yet won’t be a starter for Real Madrid – at least not in the initial stages.
There are talks about him being sold to make a profit, something that doesn’t seem likely anymore. If he is retained, he will have to play second fiddle to Karim Benzema, who still has a solid three seasons left in him.
In another team, such as Arsenal or Chelsea, not only would he be a starter, but the system would also revolve around him in order to bring the best out of the young Spaniard – something that won’t happen at Real Madrid even if he becomes the first choice due to the presence of Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo.
2) Raphael Varane
He became a starter for Real Madrid at the age of 19 but a knee injury forced him out for over six months. Ever since returning from that injury, however, he hasn’t been the same player; there have been numerous moments where his concentration lapsed.
In general, his sharpness has drastically declined and it is for this reason that he lost his spot in the starting lineup to Pepe. Even though he played quite a lot games last season, Zinedine Zidane opted to keep him out of the big ones, something that didn’t please the young Frenchman one bit.
Many teams have been linked with the former RC Lens starlet, revealing how important he would be at those clubs. There is no doubt that he would be a starter at the clubs he has been linked with so far (Bayern Munich and Manchester United to name a few), showing the pedigree of the talented youngster.
3) Isco
If there was a player in world football now who isn’t functioning at his best because the system he plays in doesn’t have his natural position, it is Isco. The former Valencia star was signed from Malaga after a highly impressive season under Manuel Pellegrini.
Playing in the hole behind the striker, he thrived; scoring and assisting at will. It was for these performances that Florentino Perez sanctioned his signing. But it all changed after he joined the Blancos.
His arrival coincided with Jose Mourinho’s departure. In his first few games with the club, Carlo Ancelotti was still using his predecessor’s 4-2-3-1 with Isco behind Benzema. And, as expected, he was Madrid’s best player in those games.
However, to accommodate both Gareth Bale and Angel Di Maria, the Italian had to shift to a 4-3-3, thereby dissolving Isco’s natural position altogether. Many clubs would kill for a player like Isco and would change their system to get the best out of him. But at Madrid, he is just another brick in the wall.
4) James Rodriguez
James is another case similar to that of Isco’s. The Galacticos signed the midfielder after his incredible performances with both Porto and Colombia. However, what Perez didn’t consider was the fact that his best games were from the central attacking midfield position – something that hasn’t existed at Real Madrid ever since Mourinho was sent packing.
And just like with Isco, most clubs would alter their system to get the beast out of the Colombian. A player like him always brings out the best of his teammates when he himself is in conditions that sees his magnificence ooze out of him.
He might be sold in this window given that Real Madrid might buy some more midfielders, rendering his services obsolete.
And, as much as his fans at Real Madrid would hate to read this, it would be the best for all parties involved.
5) Karim Benzema
We conclude our list with the fabulous and elegant Frenchman. He might be an undisputed starter at the club and he might have had his best season as a professional footballer last season, but his position in Real Madrid’s system doesn’t put his abilities to the best use.
Benzema is someone who can not only score goals but can also influence the outcome of a game with his mesmerizing playmaking skills in the final third. It is for this reason why Ronaldo loves playing with him – he just brings the best out of both Bale and Ronaldo.
However, that’s where it ends; bringing the best out of others rather than playing the others in a way to bring the best out of him.
For years, he has been linked with several clubs and there is no doubt that he would have been the focal point of the system at each of the clubs his name has been mentioned with.
