Despite playing two games lesser than their rivals Barcelona, and high-flying Sevilla, Real Madrid still are top of the La Liga table right now and it seems like Zinedine Zidane will bring the biggest prize in Spanish football to the Santiago Bernabeu this campaign. Since 2012, Los Blancos haven’t won a league title even though they have tasted Champions League victory twice.
When Zidane arrived at the helm during the mid-season last campaign after Real Madrid’s slow start under Rafael Benitez, he was a vastly unproven manager and there were doubts over his managerial skills, but he proved everyone wrong as Real Madrid went on to win the Champions League.
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A successful club is not only about the present but also a long-term future and Zidane should have his eyes on building a solid foundation of the club for the next 10 years. There are some exceptional young players around who can help him do the job. In this article, let us take a look at five such young players who could be in Zidane’s shortlist.
#5 Jorge Mere
Highly regarded as the biggest talent to come out of the academy of Sporting Gijon since David Villa, Jorge Mere could be a long-term replacement of Pepe, who is linked with an exit from Real Madrid in the summer. Pepe’s contract is up for expiry in the summer and contract talks are not going so well which could mean Los Blancos losing their long-term servant for free.
Even if Pepe departs the club, Real Madrid will have two quality senior centre-backs in Sergio Ramos and Rafael Varane but they will need more options and Mere could provide exactly that.
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Mere has played 16 games for Sporting Gijon this campaign and has represented his boyhood club in 41 games so far. The 19-year-old has everything you demand from a defender and the best thing about him is his ability to read the game. He also has an eye for the pass from defence. The Spanish wonderkid should certainly interest Real Madrid in the near future.
Jesus Vallejo, who is now 20, and plying his trade on loan at Eintracht Frankfurt from Real Madrid, could be the long-term partner to Mere at the heart of Real Madrid defence to form an all-Spanish defensive pairing.
#4 Mauricio Lemos
Las Palmas are having a season beyond expectations this year and a player who has been central to that is defender Mauricio Lemos. The 21-year-old Uruguayan stopper has been excellent this campaign for Las Palmas and his solid showings at the heart of the defence have not gone unnoticed.
The 21-year-old has is a for a number of bigger clubs in Spain, including Barcelona.
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Lemos is exactly the kind of player Pepe was at his prime. With the ability to intercept balls from defence and leadership skills, he is a player who can fit in well in Real Madrid’s tactics. The defender boasts of solid physical prowess, has bags of pace and possesses an impressive ball-playing ability.
With proper guidance, he could be a complete central defender in the coming years and Real Madrid should definitely track his progress.
#3 Ousmane Dembele
What a player in the making we have in Ousmane Dembele! Only last season, he got his lucky break at his boyhood club, Rennes due to injuries to several first-team players, and he took his chance in the perfect fashion. After playing just 29 games for the Ligue 1 side in his breakthrough season, he was snapped up by Borussia Dortmund for a massive fee.
Dembele has featured 28 times for Dortmund this season having scored five goals in the process with an impressive tally of assists which is 13 at the moment. A talent of the highest level who can score and create goals as well as prove to be a menace to any defence in the world, Dembele reminds us of a young Cristiano Ronaldo.
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If the Frenchman can keep up his amazing progress, he would definitely end up at either Real Madrid or Barcelona. With Ronaldo in his 30s, Real Madrid should already try to bring Dembele to the Santiago Bernabeu.
#2 Dele Alli
The biggest talent in English football, Dele Alli has been consistently linked with a move to Real Madrid in recent weeks. Well, the interest he is getting is totally deserved. There are very few midfielders who can bring goals to their game on a regular basis and Alli can do exactly that.
However, the Englishman’s game is not just about scoring goals. He is a top-class midfielder with an excellent ability to create goals and link-up well with team-mates.
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To some extent, Alli’s game is a bit similar to how Zidane used to play. Still just 20, the English sensation could be a huge success story at the biggest club in the world under Zizou who could be his perfect mentor. In Zidane’s 4-3-3 system, Alli would be a perfect fit with his all-round ability.
#1 Julian Weigl
Unlike his predecessors, Zidane has used a 4-3-3 system at Real Madrid which is bringing the club success but the club are having to pay a big price for that as both James Rodriguez and Isco have struggled for playing time in this system as they are attacking minded midfielders.
However, fans seem to be happy paying the price because of the success they are getting.
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A player who can a revelation at Real Madrid in the deep-lying playmaker role at Real Madrid is Borussia Dortmund starlet Julian Weigl. With the quality the German possesses, he could be their very own Sergio Busquets. The 21-year-old should definitely be at the top of Real Madrid’s priority list in the upcoming transfer windows.
Weigl has an impressive range of passing and can dictate play from deep in midfield. The youngster is a calm influence in midfield and is an important player in the Borussia Dortmund midfield.
