The headache new Madrid signing Camavinga is giving Ancelotti

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The headache new Madrid signing Camavinga is giving Ancelotti

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The French midfielder has no clear role on the pitch or in Ancelotti's set-up

Real Madrid took advantage of a market opportunity to sign one of the hottest young prospects in Europe in Eduardo Camavinga. The midfielder cost them 30m euros plus 15m in objectives, with Rennes keen to sell before his contract ran out next summer.

The 18 year old, however, poses a problem for Carlo Ancelotti. He doesn’t have a clear role on the pitch yet, and the coach must also decide where he fits in.

The three starters, Casemiro, Kroos and Modric, have back-ups in Valverde and Isco, as well as Dani Ceballos. Camavinga was key for Rennes but at Madrid he may be a bench player and that could stop his development.

His playing style sees him racing upfield, and he likes to burst forward rather than stay back. That makes it hard to see him operating like Casemiro in the pivot role. 

So perhaps he would work as an interior, but he doesn’t have Kroos’s tactical discipline or vision. The only option, then, would be to give him Modric’s place and those are big words indeed. The Croatian is still exquisite.

Ancelotti will have work to do to fit Camavinga in. He can’t be the same player he was at Rennes. Madrid don’t have that luxury; he can’t be one of the attacking midfielders when he doesn’t score. He netted two goals in three seasons in Ligue 1. 

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