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Right-back, a haven for Spanish players at Real Madrid

marca.com, 21 July 2022, 09:47
Carvajal, Lucas and Nacho are the options in the only position exclusively reserved for Spaniards at the Bernabeu

Real Madrid are the biggest club in the world and it's no coincidence that the squad working under Carlo Ancelotti's orders is internationally diverse.

For 2022/23, Ancelotti will have players of nine different nationalities under him, with Take Kubo's exit taking that number down from double figures.

A consequence of this, though, is that Real Madrid no longer have a core of important Spanish players in their squad, with Sergio Ramos leaving last year and Isco following him this summer.

Now, Los Blancos have Dani Carvajal, Nacho Fernandez, Jesus Vallejo, Dani Ceballos, Lucas Vazquez, Marco Asensio, and Mariano Diaz flying the flag for Spain.

Of those, Asensio and Ceballos are into the last year of their respective contracts, and they could well be moved on either next summer or, should a good offer come in, this very transfer window.

Mariano and Vallejo are reluctant to leave the club, despite knowing that they will be peripheral players for the season to come.

Both Alvaro Odriozola and Borja Mayoral are back at the club, at least temporarily, but the club are keep to move them on and offers have come in for the forward.

The full-back did well at Fiorentina last year and now wants to stay to prove himself. His problem, though, is that Real Madrid are well stocked in that area, with Ancelotti having three players already in his squad that he trusts at right-back.

Carvajal, Lucas, and Nacho are the three players trusted to play at right-back and all are, curiously, Spaniards.

If Asensio and Ceballos are to leave this summer, those three players will be Real Madrid's most-important Spaniards, all oddly playing in the same position.

Carvajal is the first choice for the role. He did well at the end of last season, most of all in the Champions League final against Liverpool, wherein he dealt with everything thrown at him by the Premier League side. He is Real Madrid's right-back, but also Luis Enrique's for Spain.

Lucas has won Ancelotti over, as he has down with every Real Madrid coach before Carletto. He fills in whenever and wherever he is needed, and the importance of a player of his kind cannot be overlooked.

Nacho is in a similar position to Lucas, having never looked to leave the capital. He's had offers, but he loves playing for Real Madrid and doesn't want to leave, even if his role means he's unlikely to go to the 2022 World Cup.

Meeting UEFA quotas

The Spanish and European champions know that they have to tick certain boxes when they're constructing their squad.

UEFA registration rules state that a certain number of players have to have been developed locally. Of the 25-player List A, there have to be a minimum of eight who were registered with Spanish squads for at least three full seasons between ages 15 and 21.

Nationality is irrelevant, meaning that Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes fall into that category, as does Fede Valverde. Eduardo Camavinga will too.

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