The challenge Real Madrid have set Ancelotti

The challenge Real Madrid have set Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti has a mission in his second stint as Real Madrid head coach and that is to develop youngsters and get the best out of the array of young talent available to him in the squad.

Los Blancos feel that they have yet to see a proper return on the huge investment they have made in players with potential in recent years. They believe that Ancelotti is the man and that this is the time to take proper advantage of the young assets they have and to maximise their worth on the pitch.

There will be little transfer activity - unless a Galactico becomes available - and the Real Madrid hierarchy feel their best option for the season ahead is to seek improvements from those already within their ranks.

The question now is which of Real Madrid's young prospects will make the leap this season. Here, we take a look at some of the up-and-coming individuals.

Andriy Lunin (22 years of age)

It's hard to see room for the Ukrainian goalkeeper to get more minutes as he is very much in Thibaut Courtois' shadow. The club retains faith in him, however, and Ancelotti may give him Copa del Rey games and the odd Champions League or LaLiga Santander game in the right circumstances.

Eder Militao (23 years of age)

After his improvement over the course of 2020/21, much is expected of the Brazilian defender next season. With Ramos gone and uncertainty surrounding Raphael Varane's future, there is an opportunity for Militao to take on a bigger role, even with the arrival of David Alaba.

Vinicius (20 years of age) and Fede Valverde (22 years of age)

These are the two prospects who have perhaps played the biggest part in the squad in recent seasons, without fully breaking into the starting XI. Vinicius was actually the outfield player with most appearances in 2020/21, while Valverde became the first rotation option after the starting midfield trio. Now it could be time for these two to really kick on and assume more responsibility in the team.

Martin Odegaard (22 years of age) and Luka Jovic (23 years of age)

These two are the ones that caused most friction between the club and Zinedine Zidane, owing to the lack of trust he had in them. They both had to leave on loan in search of games, but Ancelotti will be expected to turn them into important players for Los Blancos, especially in Odegaard's case.

Rodrygo (20 years of age)

There's plenty of competition in the Real Madrid forward line, but Rodrygo is another who will be expected to make a step forward in the coming campaign. Zidane gave him minutes and even turned to him in important games, but injury frustrated his progress.

Brahim Diaz (21 years of age), Reinier (19 years of age) and Take Kubo (20 years of age)

The club also invested heavily in these players, but it is likely that they will have to continue their development elsewhere next season. Pending a decision from Ancelotti, Brahim is expected to return to AC Milan, while Reinier and Kubo will probably also be out on loan again.

Ancelotti has a galaxy of young talent at his disposal. His mission, which he has already accepted, is to make the most of it, seeking progression from every individual.

It is a big ask, and some patience will no doubt be required at times, but the results could be very exciting for Real Madrid fans.

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