Having made over 150 appearances for Real Madrid since his move in 2009, Alonso has been a prominent figure in Madrid’s midfield. But with the state of continuum that lives in football, Alex Beck takes a look at what new signings Kroos and Rodriguez mean to the veteran midfielder.
The double signing of midfielders Toni Kroos and James Rodriguez for a combined fee of over £100m signals brilliant news for Real Madrid but Xabi Alonso will be seeing increasingly stiff competition for places as he looks around Los Blancos’ dressing room in preseason.
Alonso is currently facing a one-match ban from European football for invading the pitch during May’s Champions League final, which will see him miss the Super Cup against Sevilla in August.
The Spaniard, who joined the La Liga giants for £30m from Liverpool in 2009, has been a Madrid mainstay throughout his time there, making 153 appearances. But the arrivals of World Cup stars Kroos and Rodriguez – in stark contrast with the disappointing Alonso, who was substituted at half time of Spain’s second group game against Chile – puts the 32 year-old’s place at the heart of the midfield into question.
The delectable Luka Modric can look back on a sumptuous 2013-14 season, boasting a 90% pass accuracy and 6 league assists (according to WhoScored.com), and the Croatian tempo-setter’s place in the side is surely assured. It is fitting that he is praised in my debut article on this site, as Modric is the modern-day master of the football.
More
More
No comments:
Post a Comment