Real Madrid have one of the most promising young cores in world football, with Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, Fran Garcia, Fede Valverde, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes set up to dominate football for much of the next decade. Exequiel Palacios could have been one of them.
Palacios, now 24, was one of the brightest talents in South America when he was coming through at River Plate, finally moving to Bayer Leverkusen for €17m in 2020. Bit by bit he has been gaining importance at die Werkself.
He was on the verge of joining Real Madrid that same January though.
“The people from Real Madrid traveled to do do a medical with me, but in the end it didn’t happen due to injury. I’m a guy who always wants more, so I think that if it didn’t happen, it was for a reason. I’m on the right track and it’s up to me to go far,” he told Marca.
Palacios is now working under Xabi Alonso, who many are tipping to be Real Madrid manager down the line.
“He is a coach who lives football passionately. He lives each training as if it were the last. Tries to get the most out of every player at all times.”
Los Blancos have made a concerted effort to become one of the major forces in the South American transfer market, most recently snapping up Endrick Felipe most recently. That said, they have focused their efforts on forwards that they believe can be differential, rather than midfielders or defenders.
