5 youngsters Real Madrid could target for the future
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.
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.