Real Madrid: More opportunities for Fede Valverde after Ceballos' move to Arsenal?

Real Madrid and Zinedine Zidane's pursuit of World Cup-winning French midfielder Paul Pogba seems to have stalled because of the €180 million that Manchester United are asking for in order to acquire the services of the player. Zidane has admitted that he loves Pogba because of the extra bit of quality that he brings on the pitch.

There's no doubt that Zidane wants Pogba at Real Madrid this season rather than the next. However, it seems increasingly unlikely that Pogba will wear the famous white jersey for the upcoming season. Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said that he wants Pogba to stay at the club amidst all the speculation and that the team would be built around him.

Real Madrid officially announced the completion of the loan move of Dani Ceballos to Arsenal, which means that there's a vacant spot in the midfield that Fede Valverde will be expected to fill. Zidane expressed his admiration for the Uruguayan a few months ago and mentioned that he was a part of his plans for the 2019-20 season.

With Mateo Kovacic making his move to Chelsea on a permanent basis, Marcos Llorente already completing the switch to city rivals Atletico Madrid, and James Rodriguez expected to sign for either Napoli or Atletico Madrid, there are only four midfielders in the first team apart from Valverde: Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Isco, and Casemiro.

Fede Valverde at 20 years of age has shown immense quality and his performances highly speak for the potential that he possesses, something Zidane immediately spotted after returning at the helm in March. He had an impressive debut against Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League under the-then manager Santiago Solari, and there was no looking back for him ever since that night.

Breaking down Fede Valverde's playing style

Federico Valverde is a player who loves to have the ball at his feet, and what makes him such a good player is his ability to get out of the tight spaces. He will never hesitate to have the ball, and he often drops deep into the team's own half to receive the ball from the defenders to organize the attack going forward.

He is an efficient ball-carrier, much like former Real Madrid midfielder Mateo Kovacic. Considering that Zidane will opt for his usual 4-3-3 formation, he can play both as the anchor in a deep-lying role or as a central midfielder. Valverde himself stated, "I am a player who likes to always be in touch with the ball, and to always move forward."

His strength is his positioning. You will rarely find him at the wrong place because he always makes himself available at the right place at the right time. He has got a silken touch. As far as the Uruguayan's defensive abilities are concerned, he will never shy away from making a tackle or two, always being up to the challenge.

Although he doesn't boast of an incredible passing record unlike his German counterpart Toni Kroos, he will rarely play the incorrect pass, hence highlighting his impeccable decision-making.

Fede Valverde is the perfect fit for Zidane's traditional 4-3-3 formation, and he can constantly switch roles for being a ball-carrying, attack-orchestrating central midfielder, to a holding defensive midfielder.

It would be interesting to see how Zinedine Zidane makes use of the young midfielder, although one thing that is very clear is that he is set to become a relevant figure in the team and play the minutes he requires to keep developing as a player. He has a world-class potential in him and Ceballos' move could be a blessing in disguise for the club, the players, and the coach himself.

Valverde is a level-headed player, and the upcoming season presents the right opportunity for him. The Real Madrid faithful have shown love and support for the youngster whenever he has stepped on the pitch, and only time can tell if Zidane moulds him into the player we all have expected him to become.