5 players who could replace Marcelo at Real Madrid
Over the past few weeks Brazilian left-back Marcelo has been heavily linked with a move to Juventus, where he would team up with longtime teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. With a change in management coming at the club, it may finally be time for the Brazilian to leave.
Marcelo has been in the Spanish capital since 2007 and during this time has won every major honour multiple times. At the age of 30 the fullback may ultimately end his decade association with the club and seek a fresh challenge. Madrid will have trouble replacing such a consistent performer, but here are five players that could be signed as Madrid's new left fullback.
#5 Nacho Monreal
Unlike the other options included on this list, Monreal would serve as a short-term fix. The Arsenal fullback will turn 33 next year, however, his game seems to have improved with age. Monreal would be available for a small fee and if Madrid miss out on their top targets, we may see a year of Monreal starting at left-back for the reigning European champions.
#4 David Alaba
David Alaba's stock has fallen slightly over the last 12 months, however, the Austrian remains one of the premier fullbacks of world football. Pacy, decisive and excellent going forward, Alaba has been instrumental in Bayern's domestic dominance and he has already made over 300 appearances for the German club.
The 26-year-old operates in a similar way to Marcelo and the Austrian's attacking prowess means that Madrid would not feel the loss of Marcelo due to Alaba being a perfect replacement. Bayern will not want to lose Alaba in the prime of his career, so if this one goes through expect a huge transfer fee.