It was an intriguing night of Champions League action on Wednesday as Real Madrid selected defender Sergio Ramos in midfield, ahead of Sami Khedira and Asier Illarramendi.
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It was a gamble that paid off as Carlo Ancelotti’s side scored a 1-0 win over neighbours Atletico and booked a place in the competition’s final four. However, it’s a selection that perhaps signals the worst for Real’s out of favour midfield duo.
As ever, the European elite have a wealth of options in their respective squads. With that in mind, we’ve picked out a few fringe players from this year’s European semi-finalists who might be available come the summer.
Who would you take…
Real Madrid
Who could be available: Sami Khedira, Asier Illarramendi, Javier Hernandez
Who would we take…?
The European Champions have a very settled team and there’s simply proved to be no room (consistently) for Sami Khedira or Asier Illarramendi. Both are holding midfielders by trade and could be useful, albeit expensive additions to our squad. Hernandez, who scored the winning goal on Wednesday, is definitely capable of chipping in regularly for any Premier League club, although it’s hard to see us picking up a Manchester United outcast. Khedira, who’s available on a free in the summer, would be a genuinely superb addition.
Barcelona
Who could be available: Martin Montoya, Pedro
Who would we take…?
The form of the world’s best front-three has seen Pedro fall out of favour so far this season. He has an incredible CV and despite not being one of the club’s bigger names, he’s contributed a lot over the years. Pedro provides genuine pace and width, as well as goals. In total, he’s notched 97 since making a 2007/08 debut. Whether Barca would actually consider letting him go is another matter, of course. Montoya could be a useful addition. We certainly are in need of a right-back, although it’d be nice to see a bit more of him in action before we commit to anything. And with Jon Flanagan hopefully returning, he’s perhaps not a priority.
Juventus
Who could be available: Fernando Llorente
Who would we take…?
There’s not much up for grabs in terms of Juventus players. Fernando Llorente is perhaps the only possible target. His contribution has been somewhat lost in Turin due to the success of Carlos Tevez, while Alvaro Morata is also competing for a place in the team. Llorente still has a decent goal record with the Italian champions and would offer us something different in terms of attacking option.
Bayern Munich
Who could be available: Julian Green, Jan Kirchhoff
Who would we take…?
Munich’s squad is so in tune that we struggled to spot any potential bargains. We’ve instead looked to their list of loan players, which includes both Julian Green and Jan Kirchhoff. Green, a 19-year-old winger and American international, has struggled to adapt to life in Germany and could be an unlikely snaffle. Kirchhoff, 24, has impressed with Schalke this season and could be a useful rotation option in defence.
