The midfielder has had a tough time at Real Madrid as he got reduced to only a sporadic option for Zinedine Zidane last season. However, with the arrival of the new boss, the Spaniard will look to win him over in the first impression and also look to cement his spot in the starting eleven.
The former Malaga midfielder managed to notch up only starts out of his total 25 appearances in the La Liga last season under Zidane. But with Ancelotti at the helm, the 29-year-old has a shot at redemption in the upcoming season.
Ancelotti understands Real Madrid’s financial condition, and while he cannot splash out a lot of cash this summer he wants to keep hold of as much talent as he can. Therefore despite Isco’s links with clubs like AC Milan, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, he is all set to stay in Madrid.
Ancelotti appreciated the hunger and commitment of experienced players who want to make a mark under his reign. The Italian told Real Madrid TV,
“I’ve really enjoyed finding those two things: the quality among the youngsters, many of whom I didn’t know very well, and, above all, the hunger and commitment from the likes of [Dani] Carvajal, Nacho, Marcelo, Lucas Vazquez and Isco, who’ve won it all in recent years and still have a great desire, excitement and hunger to have a good season, which is what we’re all looking to do.”
A few weeks back, Ancelotti was named the successor of Zidane. It marked the return of ‘Don Carlo’ for his second stint with Los Blancos. Before coming to Real, the Italian was managing Everton, and despite a steady start with the Toffees, he could only manage to guide them to a 10th place finish in the Premier League.
It is a different challenge for him at Madrid as he has taken over a team with some exceptional talents. The Blancos are still eager to bring in reinforcements and have only signed a major player this summer. PSG star Kylian Mbappe still remains a top priority signing at Madrid. But they have solidified their defence after roping in David Alaba from Bayern Munich in a free transfer.
“He’s a strong all-round player with a lot of quality. He’s also very smart in terms of defensive tactics,”
“I played him at centre-back in my last few games at Bayern and he did very well. He played at left wing-back and has a lot of experience and is very smart. He’s capable of playing in both positions and has even played in central midfield for Austria.
Ancelotti stated.
Among departures, Sergio Ramos has left the club after 16 years of association with the Blancos. It will be difficult to fill the veteran Spaniard’s void in the backline. The 35-year-old centre back has joined PSG on a free transfer after a contract fiasco with Florentino Perez and the Real management.
