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We have seen a lot of change at Real Madrid in recent months, with managerial outgoings as well as key players going out the door. In a summer of great transition at the club, there was always concerns of how things would be going forward and whether the club would be able to cope with the loss of two huge figures in the clubs history.
The first of the aforementioned huge figures was outgoing manager Zinedine Zidane. A club legend in his playing days, the French mastermind delivered great success in the managerial hotseat between 2016-2018. During his tenure in charge, Los Blancos won a La Liga title, 3 Champions League titles, the Supercopa Espana as well as winning both the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup twice respectively.
9 trophies overall, although differing in levels of importance it was certainly some achievement even more so with the pressures he was facing as a well-known club legend. When Zidane left, it was a shock for many and left fans wondering what now? Who would be able to take the reigns? He left only 5 days after winning the third Champions League title of his spell as manager so he left on a real high and cited a need for change at the club as his reason for leaving.
Then, a huge departure rocked Real Madrid and for many, this was a day that they never thought would ever be upon them. Cristiano Ronaldo left the club, signing a 4-year contract on 10 July 2018. This was a massive deal with the transfer fee being touted as 100 million euros and of course, came with a bumped contract full of additional clauses.
Management wise, Julien Lopategui was the chosen man to take over from Zidane however the circumstances in which he was appointed cast a shadow over things and turned into a real debacle. The manager of the Spain National Team at the time of his appointment, on the eve of the World Cup no less, a fallout with the Spanish FA saw Lopetegui removed from his national team role and as a result of this star-studded Spain squad never really recovered and what followed what a disastrous World Cup which saw them eliminated in the Round of 16 to host nation Russia. He didn't fare much better in Madrid either, early season to defeats to Sevilla, CSKA Moscow, Alaves and Levante not to mention an absolutely crushing 5-1 defeat to Barcelona in El Clasico saw Lopetegui sacked after only 3 months in charge.
Former player Santiago Solari was appointed on a temporary basis and managed to calm the storm somewhat- a run of 4 successive victories has seen the Argentine appointed on a permanent basis and provides a great platform for him to start his managerial career at the highest level.
Much of Solari's task ahead will be planning for the future, namely how to move a club forward which has largely been extremely reliant on one individual for a number of years. The old guard of Ramos, Modric, Kroos, Benzema and Marcelo still remain and are all players of the highest calibre however they are all hovering around the age of 30 and in the coming years it will be time for a new generation to be ushered through.
With this in mind, here are 5 players who I believe have the potential to be future stars for the club:
#1 Dani Ceballos
Dani Ceballos is a technically gifted central midfield player whom much is expected of in years to come. There was real excitement surrounding his move from Real Betis to Madrid, a fee of 18 million euros was agreed a long-term contract rumoured to be 6 years was agreed.
He made 105 appearances in total for Betis, and forged a good reputation for himself in this time. Vastly experienced at youth level for Spain, he also has 3 caps for the senior side.
Ceballos hasn't quite made the impact many had hoped for at Real Madrid however it is still very early days and at 22 years of age time is very much still on his side.
#2 Alvaro Odriozola
Alvaro Odriozola is an adventurous right-sided fullback who loves to push forward, and has been deployed as a winger in the past.
Signed from Real Sociedad in July for a reported €30 million, this could turn out to be a shrewd investment in the long run for a player who turned out 41 times in La Liga for the Basque side and has made a positive impression for Real Madrid in the early stages of the season even netting a goal in the Copa Del Rey against minnows Mellila, demonstrating his threat going forward.
Odriozola has also accumulated 4 caps for Spain, even scoring in a friendly against Switzerland.
#3 Vinicius Junior
There are big things expected of this young man, and with good reason. An extremely exciting young talent, Vinicius Junior is one youngster that many will be hearing a lot more about for years to come.
Signed from Flamengo in May 2017 for a staggering 47 million euros, it would not be until 12 July 2018 he could join Madrid due to him only being 17 at the time. This was a record-breaking transfer for someone of his age, so understandably there is a lot of hype regarding this Brazilian wonderkid.
He has scored 4 goals in 5 game for the Real Madrid Castilla side, and has been given opportunities in the first team which he has certainly taken. A man of the match display in the Copa Del Rey has been followed by his first senior goal from the club coming off the bench against Real Valladolid. Already making an impact at the age of 18, his potential knows no bounds.
#4 Marco Asensio
Marco Asensio already has quite the reputation in European football, and rightly so. A prodigiously talented playmaker with an eye for goal, we have already seen glimpses of just what this young man can do.
He has the ability to take a game by the scruff of the neck and be a match winner on his day- at the age of 22 he has made 108 appearances for Madrid and racked up 18 caps for Spain. Asensio has hit double figures for goals in the last 2 seasons from midfield and demonstrated his versatility effective both centrally and on the wing.
The Spaniard has huge potential, although one criticism of him is a lack of consistency. That being said, if he can work on this and fine tune his game he has the ability to be an extremely important part of Real Madrid and the national teams future.
#5 Rodrygo
A bit of an outside choice here, and a player who has largely gone under the radar thus far. Partly because he is yet to join the club, but this is still a player who can have a big impact in years to come for Los Blancos. Rodrygo plays for Santos FC currently in the Brazilian Serie A and is just 17 years of age- despite his tender years he has made 54 appearances already in his club career scoring 10 goals.
The teenage sensation signed his first professional contract at the age of 16 and has played for Brazil at youth level. Real Madrid have stumped up €45 million to secure his services from June 2019 onward.
Rodrygo's deal with Madrid will run until 2025, and with the rate he is currently progressing at such a young age he appears to have bundles of potential; whether he can fulfil this with the Spanish giants is yet to be seen.
