A Lesson With Lucas Vazquez

With the 15/16 season coming to a close, Real Madrid will be evaluating the areas they need to improve for the upcoming campaign. As the club should invest in a back-up left-back, defensive mid-fielder, and back-up center forward to add  to the squad depth, the Lucas Vazquez signing is one Los Blancos should use as a reference.

I remember writing a piece for Onefootball commenting on the fact that Lucas was the least-known signing relative to the likes of Casemiro, Mateo Kovacic, and Danilo made by ex-coach Rafa Benitez. Despite being viewed as the least popular signing that was made last summer, he has been the most influential.

A unique combination of speed, directness, and desire to defend, his fine form has earned him a call to the national team. Not only is national glory possible on the horizon, he has catapulted himself to the top of the pecking order on Real Madrid's sideline, becoming more prominent than highly-rated Jese and James Rodriguez.

Coming off the bench, the utility number 18 has come in during crucial periods of Madrid's injury woes. Consistent, working as an industrial right-back and inverted winger, Vazquez's versatility cannot go under-appreciated. It is this tactical flexibility and willingness to play second-fiddle that Madrid should look for when looking to reinforce their current assets.

Too many times to count in Madrid's history The Royal Whites have opted for the wrong type of signing. Though competition within the team is normal for an elite club, it's important that Madrid understand the fine line between establishing a pool of high-pedigree players to select from and purchasing players solely for their market and profitability. Instead on looking to build with the current foundation, the feeling I get from club president Florentino Perez is that he is fine with acquiring the latest and greatest talent availible, regardless of the ripple effect it may have on the squad.

In addition, I wrote on article back in February titled, "Message to Perez: "No more galactico signings (http://www.managingmadrid.com/2016/2/24/11101758/no-more-galactico-signings-message-to-perez) in which I made clear my opinion that Madrid should decrease big-name signings and focus on functionality. What is the point of purchasing James Rodriguez when the team already could choose between Angel Di Maria and Isco? It's important that the club continue to work on continuity and stability so players that are brought in can settle in much easier.

Casemiro has been vital in Madrid's resurgence, Kovacic is a likely long-term replacement for fellow Croatian Luka Modric, and Danilo will keep Dani Carvajal on his toes (or at least that is the idea with Alvaro Arbeloa already set on leaving). The club will likely keep Isco due to his ability to effectively work in a 3-man midfield, Jese should look to go on loan as Lucas has grown to become a real favorite, and James may be off-loaded considering playing time looks extremely unlikely under Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane.

However, if there is anything Madrid can learn from their last transfer window and specifically Lucas, is that 'galactico' talent doesn't always need to come in the form of the biggest and the best. If the team can work off of each other's strengths and mesh with a system in place, there really isn't a need for Madrid to flex their financial muscles in the transfer market for the shiniest penny/hottest property.