Real Madrid will not reinforce key position in January despite veteran’s obvious struggles | OneFootball

The game at Estadio de Vallecas once again highlighted the elephant in the room for Real Madrid: the right-back position.

With Dani Carvajal out for the season, Lucas Vazquez has become the first-choice right-back and is clearly struggling, suffering from the relentless accumulation of matches in a position he only had to adapt to quite late in his career.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti tried moving Federico Valverde to play as a right-back in a few games, but it leaves the midfield exposed.

Despite the clear and obvious issues, and with only two weeks until the official transfer window opens, Real Madrid’s stance remains unchanged – they does not plan to make a decisive move for a right-back until the summer, according to AS.

Lucas Vazquez’s struggles

Both the club and the coaching staff hold Vazquez up as an example of leadership and dedication, but he is not having his best season. The groin injury he sustained in mid-November is also taking its toll.

Statistically, his current defensive numbers are the poorest of the last three seasons and the most concerning were the feelings of fragility he showed in two particular matches: El Clasico and especially the 1-3 loss to Milan.

At Estadio de Vallecas this past weekend against Rayo Vallecano, Vazquez was involved in both of the first two Rayo goals, although for the second one, a set-piece where he was tasked with marking Abdul Mumin, little can be blamed on him.

Real Madrid continue to wait for Trent Alexander-Arnold

Real Madrid will wait for Trent Alexander-Arnold (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Although Ancelotti has left a slight opening regarding the possibility of signing a player in January, Real Madrid does not have a plan for a new right-back for this winter market.

The strategy is to wait until the summer to pursue the signing of Trent Alexander-Arnold when his contract with Liverpool expires.

This situation bears some similarities to that of Alphonso Davies for the opposite flank, and both cases are still open.

Real Madrid are quite optimistic about signing both the English and Canadian international, so, as AS has been reporting, they do not plan to go after a right-back during this transfer window.