Pitted against the rest of the Real Madrid players on loan this campaign Denis Cheryshev would likely have been placed on one of the lower rungs. The likes of Brazilian midfielder Casemiro and Jose Rodriguez (on loan at Porto and Deportivo La Coruna respectively) were the players most Madrid fans believed had a future with the club, thus their focus immediately shifted to them.
After all, Casemiro had always seemed capable of more if Carlo Ancelotti could find him some playing time in Madrid’s stacked midfield. Jose Rodriguez on the other hand was one for the future, at 19 (now 20) the midfielder is still viewed as a potentially integral part of Madrid’s future midfield. Last in the shuffle was Cheryshev.
At 23 (now 24) the Russian seemed stuck in loanee purgatory. Too “old” to really qualify as a “young talent” and not good enough (yet) for a permanent spot in Madrid’s first team. In fact, after his injury-riddled loan spell at Sevilla last campaign, it was a surprise that Madrid even bothered to keep him on their books. It’s almost as if in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the transfer window the winger fell through the cracks, only to be found and shipped off to Villarreal for the season until they could figure out what to do with him.
Six months later and the conversation has switched from “Why’s he still on the books at the Bernabeu?” to “What are Madrid going to do with him at the end of the season?” Cheryshev may not only have played himself into a permanent deal at Villarreal, he may have done the unthinkable and played himself straight into Carlo Ancelotti’s plans for next season.
This isn’t to say he was not always talented. Madrid fans have always known that the pacy winger could turn out to be something special, but the past two seasons have been a mix of injuries, bad form and inconsistent play. This year, however, he’s taken his game to another level. He’s adapted to Marcelino Garcia Toral’s 4-4-2 well despite initial concerns the more narrow formation would limit his impact.
He’s also put in some truly world class performances punctuated with flashes of pure brilliance. His effort against Rayo, when Villarreal recovered from 0-2 down to win 4-2 was especially impressive, with Cheryshev assisting the last two goals. It’s been a crucial part of his game this season—his end product.
Cheryshev is currently tied for second in the league with 8 assists—level with Lionel Messi and one behind Cristiano Ronaldo. But apart from his end product it’s his willingness to track back and help out defensively that’s really set him apart this year. All in all, Cheryshev has become a more mature player and a truly important cog in the Villarreal machine.
The future remains unclear and rumours of Villarreal making the deal permanent have surfaced, but Madrid would do well to find a way to integrate him into the squad for next season, although that’s easier said than done.
