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Real Madrid right-back Lucas Vázquez has been a surprising standout in the 2020-2021 season, but he shouldn’t risk his luck.
Luka Modric seems to have been renewed by the club, so now Real Madrid is focused on renewing captain Sergio Ramos and band player Lucas Vázquez.
Ramos is, of course, the priority. He is the talisman and possibly the best central defender to ever play the game. His scoring record, his prowess in the team’s preparation game, his defense and, of course, his leadership speak for themselves.
But Vazquez is also a player worth keeping. We may have sung a different tune about the forward in the 2019-2020 season, because he was the worst player on the team who was not named “Gareth Bale.”
Fast forward to 2021, and Vazquez is a sure starter. He has become the starting right winger at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium. Should Real Madrid be satisfied to be in a situation where Vázquez is their best option in the position? No, but Vázquez himself should be commended for winning the starting position and improving his performances to an “A” when the team desperately needed to bounce back from a second loss to Shakhtar Donetsk.
The problem is, Vazquez can’t overestimate his value amid this streak of form. He has shown time and again, even in the midst of our criticism, that he is a valuable player in the squad. Vázquez has a place in Madrid, especially with Zinedine Zidane at the helm.
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However, his decision to reject Real’s recent renewal offer is risky.
Vázquez is entitled to value himself a lot. Each player must defend himself in negotiations, because, with the exception of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, no player is as powerful as a whole football club. Vázquez is no exception.
And since Vázquez is no exception, he runs a great risk. Yes, he has become the starting right winger and has shown that he has what it takes to be a good substitute right back option for Dani Carvajal even after the 2020-2021 season. But how much better is it than Marco Asensio or Rodrygo Goes on the right? Let’s get back to the defense. How much better than Álvaro Odriozola.
Vázquez is valuable. But in a time of great economic uncertainty AND a rebuild that requires saving for a superstar scorer, a player who doesn’t exactly score goals or bring world-class technical quality to the table is not indispensable. Vázquez is valuable, but, unfortunately for him, he is not a “must” at the level of the other two Madrid players with contracts about to expire in Ramos and Modric.
That means if Vazquez plays his cards too aggressively, Real Madrid could show him the door. They might not want to, but if you could only keep two of the three players to get a transfer in 2021, you would probably pick against Vázquez, right? It is a sad fact for the outstanding Galician, but he is in a dead end situation.
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There is one final question for Vázquez, whose love for Real Madrid is unquestionable, to ponder. Which club gives you the best chance to win, feel valued, and contribute to your legacy? The “feeling valued” part of the equation is the only one that can change based on money, which is understandable. However, it is hard for me to see any other club in Europe willing to give him more money than Los Blancos.
