Sold for £4m, Southampton can expose Real Madrid’s mistake with reported transfer plan

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When beginning an article exploring the lack of cutting edge in Real Madrid’s attack, you may be predicting an impassioned defence of a certain Colombia international now bamboozling defenders in the Premier League.

But this is no gushing eulogy to James Rodriguez, a world-class talent reborn under Carlo Ancelotti at Goodison Park.

Instead, it’s about time you heard about Jorge de Frutos, the 24-year-old speed-machine sold by Real Madrid for just £4 million in July 2020.

And, before you ask, no, Madrid did not insert a buy-back clause in his contract. Maybe they should have done.

Because, during his debut La Liga campaign, De Frutos has come from nowhere to become one of Spanish football’s most exciting attackers almost overnight.

Lining up on the right side of an exciting, free-flowing Levante side, a jet-heeled forward who never made a single first-team appearance in two years at the Bernabeu has recorded more assists than any other player in the division with eight (ten in all competitions).

That, by the way, is more than Vinicius Jr, Eden Hazard, Martin Odegaard Marco Asensio and Luka Modric put together. Although Real are not the only club from the Spanish capital who have been left red-faced by one of European football’s breakthrough stars.

Atletico were on cruise control and sauntering towards the La Liga title until Levante, and De Frutos, arrived at the Wanda Metropolitano two weeks ago.

A stunning finish from the halfway line, after Jan Oblak had gone up the other end for a last-minute corner, felt like something of a coming-of-age moment for De Frutos.

Then again, avid La Liga viewers will tell you that this most direct and dazzling of wingers has been producing match-winning moments of brilliance like this for a while now.

According to the Mirror (28 February, page 67), Southampton have now contacted De Frutos’s agent in an attempt to negotiate a summer move to the Premier League.

And, in a time in in which Sergio Reguilon, Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez, Achraf Hakimi, Martin Odegaard and Theo Hernandez, De Frutos is starting to feel like yet another player who did not get the opportunity he deserved at Real Madrid.