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Los Blancos made their first major signing of the summer by bringing in the young Spaniard from Real Sociedad for €35 million. He was part of the Spanish World Cup squad but wasn't used due to fears about his positional discipline and the space that he would leave that could be exploited on the counter.
It ended up being a hugely disappointing tournament for La Roja because they lost to Russia in the round of 16.
Odriozola impressed with La Real last season due to his attacking influence from the right-back position. Eusebio Sacristan's system brought the best out of him offensively, but it also left the team exposed due to the large pockets of space and highlighted defensive deficiencies in his game.
However, this is an intelligent signing by Real as they continue to build a strong, youthful Spanish core in the team. Here are three reasons why Los Blancos were right to bring him in...
#3 Attacking mindset
Real are a team that will certainly benefit from his willingness to play high up the pitch and his ability in the final third. Marcelo was basically used as a wide playmaker by Zinedine Zidane last season, while Dani Carvajal spent large chunks of matches in the opposition half.
Julen Lopetegui is likely to use a more structured system than Zidane who gave his players a lot of creative freedom, but the full-backs will still be key attacking-wise.
Controlling possession is likely to be a lot more important under Lopetegui with less of a focus on lightning-quick transitions, which became a hallmark of the team in the Champions League. Although it could still be a useful tool if needed depending on the style of the opposition because Lopetegui is pragmatic.
In Real Madrid's attacking shape, the full-backs will be key in creating overloads and providing deep runs to break down the opposition in wide areas. Stretching the opposition and circulating possession quickly from one flank to the other is an effective way to create openings from opposition mistakes and man advantages.
Deep runs pose huge problems for the defence because of the uncertainty over who they should be tracking the runner as well as the speed advantage they have over a static defender. However, having a full-back who can make use of the space they find themselves in is important. Odriozola provided examples of that with his four assists in the league as well as his goal in the Europa League.
Carvajal is an excellent defender, but he can sometimes struggle in promising offensive situations. Therefore, Odriozola provides Lopetegui with a more attacking option either to start with or to bring on as a substitute to help break down a stubborn defence.
Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos are used to covering large areas, so the space he vacates is less of an issue than it was at Real Sociedad.
#2 Gives Real Madrid much-needed squad depth
The right-back position was probably the weakest area in the Real Madrid squad last season because they were left light after the departure of Danilo. Carvajal's injury at the start of last season highlighted that with youngster Achraf Hakimi having to step up as well as Nacho being used in an unfamiliar position.
Both performed well considering the circumstances, but bringing in Odriozola is a better solution.
This transfer ensures they have depth in every position, which means they can compete on all fronts. Zidane was certainly successful because he won three consecutive Champions League titles as well as a league title. However, the title defence last season was abject.
Lopetegui's ideas should avoid a repeat of that in the league if he is able to successfully implement them, and having squad depth should ensure that they can maintain consistency until the end of the season for the crucial Champions League matches.
As mentioned above, Carvajal was out numerous times during the season such as the hamstring injury he picked up in the Champions League final, which nearly ruled him out of the World Cup. He has also suffered a number of injuries over the past few seasons, so having a talented back-up in his position is crucial.
Odriozola's comfort in attacking areas also provides Lopetegui with the option of playing a back three because he and Marcelo would certainly be comfortable playing as wing-backs. Therefore, Real have plenty of tactical versatility for the upcoming season, which is only likely to have increased with the departure of main man Cristiano Ronaldo.
#1 Odriozola has the experience of playing under Lopetegui
Real Madrid have formed a young core of talented Spanish players at the club over the past few seasons. This suits Lopetegui perfectly because of his work with the Spanish national youth teams as well as the senior side. Therefore, he knows the players well as individuals and is used to helping develop young prospects.
Working for the national side is actually harder than domestic sides in terms of bringing the best out of players. The limited amount of time actually spent on the training pitch poses big challenges in transmitting tactical ideas and building up an understanding between the players. Having a full pre-season to implement his ideas will benefit the team and Lopetegui substantially.
Moving to such a big club can be hard for young players due to the constant scrutiny they receive as well as the high standards required in every match. Having a familiar figure as manager will certainly help Odriozola adjust and gives him a higher chance of succeeding because of the patience from Lopetegui.
Odriozola wasn't heavily involved in the national team set-up until recently, but he did receive his call-up to the senior side as well as his debut from his new manager.
Other players such as Isco and Marco Asensio have strong relationships with Lopetegui, so this will certainly help in the build-up to the new season. Odriozola's relationship with the other Spanish players will also help him settle into his new surroundings.
