This isn’t the way anyone wanted it to end.
After six years and almost 250 appearances, Lucas Vazquez deserved to bring the curtain down on his Real Madrid career lifting a trophy or two – perhaps even a Liga and Champions League double.
Instead, one of the most loyal, reliable servants in recent Los Blancos history will be forced to watch from the sidelines, robbed of the chance to mark his final few months in that famous white shirt in style.
A cruciate ligament injury suffered during Saturday’s 2-1 Clasico triumph over Barcelona – a game in which he set up Karim Benzema’s brilliantly back-heeled opener – means Vazquez’s season has come to an end.
And, with his Real Madrid contract expiring in July, his 240th game for the Spanish giants is likely to be his last.
According to Deportes, Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United and Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton have both expressed interest in signing Vazquez on a free transfer.
The three-time Champions League winner has also been offered to Tottenham and Arsenal, while AC Milan and Bayern Munich have been linked in recent weeks (Mirror).
But with Vazquez potentially facing months on the sidelines as he approaches his 30th birthday, what does the future hold now for one of Europe’s most underrated footballers?
Here’s what some Real Madrid fans had to say on Twitter about Vazquez:
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