Is Nuri Sahin the missing link in Real Madrid's midfield?

Nuri Sahin: Real Madrid's latest acquisition

On 9th of May , Real Madrid officially announced the purchase of Nuri Sahin from Borussia Dortmund for a fee of 10 million euros. Sahin joined Real Madrid on a contract for six years. The purchase showed how keen Madrid were to kick start their transfer campaign sooner than the other teams and furbish up the deficiencies in the team during the present season.

The present season had ended with a lot of embitterment and pain for the capital side from Spain with the loss to Barcelona in the Champions league being the most notable of the defeats. However Madrid know that the foundation of the side had been laid and it is some minor tweaking which is required to achieve perfection and to beat the best sides in Europe , most notably Barcelona.

As evident from Madrid’s purchases over the last two seasons , focus was on youth. Players who are young yet have experience of playing in the top leagues of Europe were the ones who Madrid was looking for. In their quest , they managed to get one of the best talents in Europe. After his exploits with Dortmund last season it was inevitable that Sahin, the midfield maestro for the German club, was highly regarded in Europe. The Turkish International was highly impressive this season and Madrid got their man at a knock-down price.

People might argue that Madrid did not need Sahin as they have a plethora of players for his position. But the services of Sahin were acquired primarily because of two reasons. Firstly , Madrid were looking for a long term replacement for Xabi Alonso , who at 30 is one of the oldest members of the Madrid squad. While Xabi certainly has 2-3 years of top football left in him , the replacement process of a player of Xabi’s importance needs to be gradual and Sahin would be the perfect man to replace the current engine of the Madrid squad. Secondly , Madrid needed a second outlet of creativity from the midfield. While Khedira has been very impressive in his first season , he lacks the creativity and long range passing that Xabi has. This is evident from the fact that Khedira has very few assists and is one of the Madrid players who has not scored a single goal this season. Xabi is the primary launcher of Madrid’s attack. When Xabi is unavailable , Madrid look a lot poorer in possession than when he is playing. Further, in matches where Madrid need an extra outlet for attacks, someone like Sahin will come in handy. People might argue that someone like Sahin is more of a Luxury for a Madrid side. But at at price and age of Sahin , he is one of the best buys for Madrid. If Sahin would have continued to show the form he demoed at Dortmund , his future price would have rocketed in the future. Considering that UEFA are planning to impose the FFF rules sooner than expected , Sahin’s purchase is a wise investment for the future.

Sahin is a proficient ball player who is very comfortable with the ball. Having served as the fulcrum of Dortmund’s attacks, he has displayed enough maturity and is very much suitable for the pressing game that Mourinho wants to enforce. In many ways he can be likened to the Arsenal maestro Fabregas but at a much lesser premium. With XaBi Alonso a virtual starter for Madrid in every game , Sahin will primary be used in two positions next season.

LA LIGA

As a partner for Xabi Alonso when Madrid want to play an attacking game

4-2-3-1 Formation

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

In a formation typically used by Barcelona , in tandem with Xabi Alonso with Khedira as the holding midfielder

4-3-3 Formation

Sahin is presently down with a knee injury and missed the last four matches of the Bundesliga. He will need time to recuperate his fitness and probably his form as well. Playing for the world’s biggest and most prestigious club is always a challenge and the pressure on him will be immense. If he can absorb the pressure and work up a partnership with Alonso, Madrid could be even menacing in attack while maintaining their defensive shape. However his biggest challenge will be to adjust to the 4-3-3 formation that Madrid will employ in key European matches and most notably in the El Clasicos. While Madrid employed Pepe as the additional midfielder in the El Clasicos almost successfully , Pepe’s absence in the defense was sorely missed. With the arrival of Sahin , Madrid have the midfielder who is proficient in defense as well as offense. However, only time will tell whether he delivers or not.