Odriozola on his way out of Real Madrid for good
The Basque full-back is aware that the best thing for him in the current situation is to find a new club. He played just 92 minutes during the season just gone.
Álvaro Odriozola will leave Real Madrid this summer. Both the player and the club feel that it would be the best move for everyone concerned. Ancelotti didn’t count on him last season, and has told him that chances of first team action next season will be even less and with that prospect, the best thing he can do is leave.
Madrid have the right-back position covered with Carvajal and Lucas Vázquez and are open to listening to proposals for Odriozola, who has one year left on his contract. More importantly, the player understands the situation and accepts that it’s time to move on. There is no way he can spend another season watching from the bench - in 2022/23, he racked up a total of 92 minutes’ playing time - three brief appearances as a sub in LaLiga and a couple of run-outs in the Copa del Rey but he didn’t complete a single full game in the 61 matches Madrid played from start to finish. Only one player had less minutes - Jesús Vallejo.
The main problem for Odriozola and Madrid at the moment is that, so far, no firm ofers have come in. That’s not to say there is no interest. The defender’s former club Real Sociedad where he enjoyed his best years (41 appearances in the season before he joined Madrid), follow him closely have considered bringing him back. Returning to his hometown is an option which appeals a lot to the player - obviously for the emotional and family ties but secondly as it would allow him to play in the Champions League.
But there have been no offers from Donosti yet. La Real’s regional rivals Athletic Club also have him on their agenda... as do, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus. The Italians would also consider Odriozola a good investment, seeing as he has experience of playing in Serie A (he played 27 games during a loan stint with Fiorentina).
Odriozola, the only issue left for Madrid to resolve
Madrid are one of the few clubs in Europe’s major leagues who have sorted all of their transfer business relatively early in the summer (Fran García, Bellingham, Brahim, Joselu...) The only outstanding issue is finding an outlet for Odriozola. There is no longer any need to find a substitute goalkeeper because Lunin is staying on. There is plenty of time to sort something out for Odriozola - it’s still June so there is no urgency.
Both parties are confident that offers will start to arrive and all will end well. With Lunin, the situation was different - David Soria turned Madrid down as he felt playing second fiddle to Courtois would harm his chances of international football with Spain. The club had Pacheco and Dimitrievski as alternatives but in the end, the Ukrainian decided to stay. Hopefully Odriozola’s future will be easier and less stressful to resolve.