Alvaro Odriozola is very much a forgotten man. Since making his loan move to Bayern Munich from Real Madrid, the defender has played only two matches for the German team, and there is no sign of the Spanish giants integrating him in their plan once his loan spell gets over.
However, the recent comments of Alvaro Odriozola indicate that he still has hopes of returning to the Spanish capital and being a part of Zidane’s team in the future. In a recent interview with El Chiringuito (as reported by Marca) the Spaniard has stated, “I’ve played for Real Madrid and I belong to them.
“I’m on loan at Bayern, but succeeding at Madrid is one of my dreams. I have fulfilled almost all of my dreams so far, but succeeding at Madrid is one that’s left.”
The 24-year-old has further heaped his praise on the manager, “Zidane is very focused,” the player said.
“I had a lot of conversations with him about starting, and he showed me his support when Bayern came forward. I appreciate that he thought more about me than himself. He’s a great coach and a great person.”
Can Odriozola return to the Real Madrid team?
When Alvaro Odriozola scored the Champions League goal with Real Sociedad in February 2018, he was tipped to be the next big thing in Spanish football. Offers from bigger clubs flowed, and ultimately he signed a contract with Real Madrid in the summer. Since then it has not been smooth sailing for the right-back as he failed to feature regularly in the team and was not a part of Zidane’s plan.
Bayern Munich came with a loan offer in January 2020 and Madrid were happy to let him go, only for him to sit on the bench of the German champion and wait for his chance since then. Luck has not been on his side either as football has come to a halt due to the recent COVID 19 pandemic.
The loan spell has been futile for the player as well as Real Madrid since the player got very little exposure in Germany and not once did it seem that Bayern planned on using him regularly. Under these circumstances, it would undoubtedly be a challenge for Odriozola to return to the Real Madrid starting eleven right from the off next season.
Should Real Madrid let him go?
Although it may seem like Odriozola would not be of any great value at this moment for Los Blancos, letting the talented player leave this summer might not be a wise decision. Dani Carvajal seems to be the only viable option for the French manager at right-back presently, and given the fact that the board is trying to sign big name forwards, roping in a new right-back may not be a priority for the club. Odriozola would be an excellent back-up for the gaffer, and he could be of great use when the fixtures pile up.
Odriozola is an extremely talented player blessed with pace and accuracy. Given time, he could turn out to be a pretty useful player for the team. Until then, the Spaniard needs to have perseverance and the ability to rise up to the occasion, when called upon to do so.
