2023-06-30 23:52:20
Next to Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid moved in the transfer market to seal three returns of old acquaintances from ‘Merengue‘, footballers who had a discreet first stage in the Santiago Bernabeu but they are back now, much more mature and eager to leave a golden mark on the pages of Madrid’s history.
Fran García, Joselu and Brahim Díaz are the three footballers who are looking for their revenge with the ‘Merengue’. While Madrid paid 5 million euros for the left-back, Brahim returns from his loan at AC Milan, where he has left a very fond memory with the 2021/22 championship, while Joselu arrives on loan from the Deportivo Alaves for a season.
Frank Garcia, a second chance that excites
The level of fran garcia in it Vallecano Ray It was something that surprised locals and strangers. The left defender, at just 23 years old, became a key piece for Andoni Iraola’s team, having played all 38 games of the last season, in which the Vallecanos finished in 12th place.
Five goals and eight assists complete Fran García’s statistics during the three years he wore the Rayo shirt, making a total of 122 games played. Very fierce when it comes to defending, he owns a more than interesting speed to make the transition to attack, something that, combined with the style of Vinicius Junior He can give Carlo Ancelotti many game options on that flank.
Fran García and a deserved return | Photo: Real Madrid
Precisely, the left flank of the defense was the one that Real Madrid suffered the most during the last campaign. Now without Marcelo and with Ferland Mendy spending more time in the hospital than on the field, the only option Ancelotti had was to improvise when David Alaba was not available, either with Nacho or Camavinga. None of them disappointed, but it is true that they are functions that are not natural and that they can contribute much more playing in their true positions.
The arrival of Fran García outlines him as a starter, either in the short or medium term, especially due to the need to have a natural left defender and regain balance in that area of the field. This would allow Nacho Fernández and Camavinga to return to their positions as central defender and midfielder, respectively.
Joselu, an alternative that is here to stay?
Benzema’s departure upset the plans they had in the board of directors of the Real Madrid. Is that the ‘Merengue‘ suffered the prolonged absences of the Frenchman due to injury, to which was added the noticeable drop in his performance, compared to the 2021/22 season.
For this reason, they decided to go in search of a substitute with experience and guarantees, who also assimilated that he was not going to be a starter. In this context, they went to look for Joselu, Alavés’ goalscoring striker and who has already had his time at Real Madrid Castilla as well as a very brief one for the first team, with just two games that were enough for him to sign a goal in each of them, against Ponferradina for the Copa del Rey and Almería in LaLiga, both in 2011.
Already with 33 years behind him and almost eleven years after his farewell to ‘Merengue‘, Joselu will have his revenge in the Santiago Bernabeu in the midst of a context with many questions. For example, today he is the only center forward in the squad, not counting Rodrygo’s improvisation in that area of the field.
Will Joselu be Madrid’s new goalscorer? | Photo: Real Madrid
His last season at Alavés was signed with 17 goals in 38 games between LaLiga and Copa del Rey, six below those scored by Benzema taking those same competitions into account. It is clear that, if a forward does not arrive who clearly points to ownership, like Mbappé or Harry Kane, then Joselu will be the option that Ancelotti will have to complement Vinicius and Rodrygo, who will have to assume a more key role in the preparation and leave the former Alavés in more defining positions.
Another of the returns for the next season is that of Brahim Diazfootballer who found the peak of his performance during his time at AC Milan, where he became an important player, becoming part of 124 games with 18 goals and 15 assists in his statistics, in addition to being crowned champion in the 2021/22 season.
It is clear that, both due to his position and his style of play, Brahim arrives to replace Marco Asensio’s game, that unruly footballer who could change the equation by entering from the bench. If Ancelotti does not change the formation and continues to appeal to the 4-3-3, it will be very difficult for him to find a place among the starters, since both Vinicius and Rodrygo would be ahead.
On top of this, his natural position would already have Jude Bellingham as first option, so Brahim will have to wait for his opportunity for revenge from the bench and take advantage of every minute he has, That will surely be quite a few, since, with his presence, Ancelotti will be able to rotate in certain games so as not to burn the ships of his usual starters.
Brahim and his revenge in Madrid | Photo: Real Madrid
The only alternative to starting would be to take the position of Karim Benzema, a risky bet despite the fact that he played 16 games in his career as a striker and scored six goals, although it was during his time in the youth divisions of Manchester City.
For now, What is known is that Brahim will have his revenge at the Santiago Bernabéu, where he played 21 games between the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons, with two goals and three assists. Precisely, the Spaniard was always an alternative in those two campaigns, although he had his opportunities as an attacking duo with Gareth Bale, or as part of a trident on the right with the Welshman and Benzema.
Three years later, Real Madrid fans will find a much more mature Brahim, with a lot of dribbling ability in closed spaces and assistance in the last meters. In fact, his speed and dribbling are one of the aspects that stand out the most in his game, being able to drop the ball frequently and win runs, an aspect that Madrid lost a lot last season when the Brazilians were not on the wings.
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