Achraf Hakimi earns his stripes and will be back up for Carvajal
The canterano has been rewarded for his sterling 2016-17 season and pre-season displays with a place in Zinedine Zidane's first team squad.
Achraf Hakimi has earned the trust of Zinedine Zidane and will remain at the Bernabéu beyond the summer with a first team squad place assigned to the Morocco international to act as back up for first choice right back Dani Carvajal.
Hakimi, 18, has signed a contract to make him a first team player having joined Real Madrid as a seven-year-old and worked his way up through every youth team at the club.
Last season the defender made 28 appearances for Castilla in Segunda B, scoring once and providing eight assists. Zidane’s original idea was to send Hakimi out on loan for the 2017-18 season and a deal with Alavés, who has Marcos Llorente in their ranks last season, was close. However, the departure of Danilo to Manchester City and Hakimi’s form on Real’s pre-season tour of the USA have convinced the board and the coaching staff that he is ready to make the step up to Primera.
Zidane looking to youth to fill squad places
Madrid have been placing their faith in youth this summer, bringing back Jesús Vallejo (20) from a loan in the Bundesliga to cover for the loss of Pepe and replacing Danilo (26) with the teenaged Hakimi.
The Moroccan’s promotion leaves Álvaro Tejero surplus to requirements at first-team level with the 21-year-old, who also went on the pre-season tour, set to drop back down to Castilla for the 2017-18 season. However, Zidane still sees Tejero as a player for the future and his ability to play in every position across the back line will likely see him handed some chances to impress with the first team throughout the course of the season.
