Carvajal’s defeat raises questions about Real Madrid’s selective transfer policy | Football | Sport

Madrid started last season, in August 2023, with a full core defense: four proven central defenders (Rudiger, Militau, Alaba and Nacho), two right-backs (Carvajal and Lucas Vazquez) and two left-backs (Mendy and Fran Garcia). ). Eight pieces with elite experience. Fourteen months later, the wage bill had been cut by almost half due to Nacho’s departure, Alaba’s uncertain future and Carvajal’s unhappiness. In the middle, Militau also fell and returned. The marked decline is due to the deaths of broken crusaders (four during this period), as well as containment-based displacement policies.

In the last five years, especially, it was decided in the offices that, with some exceptions, only priority objects would be hired, without corrections, although the shortage of defenders was obvious. A line of action that was not an obstacle to last year’s successes but is now being tested or revised again in a campaign that runs until the World Cup in July after a gap has opened up on the right flank. . Clubs. La Liga rules will allow him to sign a free player to replace Carvajal without waiting until the start of the year.

Madrid reached the last two market windows with deficits, and in both cases, well before the deadline, it concluded that it would not move forward. Even in January, Carlo Ancelotti confirmed on the first day of signing the contract, January 2, that they would remain as they were. Only two clean central defenders (Rüdiger and Nacho) in the four months remaining before the recovery of Militao, who also returned with the logical lack of rhythm of a man who spent eight months in the hospital (he played just 12 minutes in the qualifying rounds). ). Champions). There, an Italian invented Chuameni.

And last summer, when Plan A, French centre-back Leni Yoro (18), decided to join United in exchange for the 62 million paid to Lille, the club doubled down: just two pure centre-backs (Rüdiger and Militao) . for an indefinite period due to the situation in Alaba. This Monday the Austrian continued his recovery from the crusader. “There is no calculation with him. He is progressing decently, but there is no rush or pause,” say sources at the club.

An increasingly common shorthand for the defensive axis continues to be Tchouameni, who is less discussed in the stands for his work at the back than for his natural holding position. In pre-season, following Yoro’s disappointment, the club promoted 17-year-old center back Joan Martinez, from Juvenil A the previous season, to the third rank. But in the summer his crusader also broke down. So the dressing room started the new season with a defense at its best and the only addition of Jesus Vallejo.

Kepa’s exclusion

With such a direct line marked by the management, Ancelotti, well aware of the dynamics of working at the Bernabeu after five and a half seasons, has accepted it, he has not become obsolete internally, for now he has not complained about anything publicly. and worked with what was. Isn’t it risky not to look for another central defender? He was asked in August, when there was more than a week left before work. “No, we have resources with the youth, there is Chuameni as an emergency and we are waiting for Alaba with all the calm in the world,” the coach defended.

The only emergency move in recent years was that of Kepa, who was linked hours later in August 2023 after Courtois suffered a serious injury. These were the times when faith in Lunin was at its lowest level. Unforeseen operations have been kept to a minimum since the summer of 2020, at the height of the pandemic and coinciding with the initial phase of work on the stadium.

The distant case of Lucas Silva

Shopping in winter has never been common. The most recent were loans to the failed Reinier in 2020 (it cost 30 million; the Granada loan is his fourth loan in a row) and Brahim in 2019 (20). Two measures that were actually part of the recruitment of young people. To find anything resembling an emergency solution in the January transfer story of Florentino Perez’s second presidency, you need to go back to 2014-2015, when he bought Brazilian midfielder Lucas Silva for 13 million, who did not play in 10 matches. . It was Carletto’s first stage and Modric had physical health problems. In 2013, he rescued goalkeeper Diego Lopez from an injury to Casillas, and in 2011, striker Emmanuel Adebayor arrived on loan.

A highly selective acquisition policy in winter, summer and regardless of overdrafts that may have been opened in the composition did not affect the latest results. Now Carvajal’s fall brings this principle back under scrutiny. Behind Lucas Vazquez we see only the resources of Militao (not called up by Brazil due to muscle discomfort), Valverde and even Rüdiger for a defense that was already short of troops in August.