Promising Elche talent faces Real Madrid audition with a point to prove | OneFootball

As Real Madrid gear up for kickoff against Elche at the Estadio Martinez Valero later today, they continue to prepare against a team that plays a rather unconventional style of football for a relatively small side.

A lot has been said and praises have been showered on Eder Sarabia’s team this season for the fearless and attacking style of football they play, and Real Madrid will thus be put to a strange test given how league games often see them pitted against compact defences.

One of the key players of Elche’s setup, needless to say, is Rodrigo Mendoza – the young midfielder who Xabi Alonso also has on their radar as a potential summer recruitment.

A virtual audition

Xabi Alonso’s admiration of Mendoza as a defensive midfielder has been known for long, and the manager has openly pushed and even discussed the same with the board.

After all, he sees him to be the ‘new Martin Zubimendi.’

Rodrigo Mendoza is on Real Madrid’s radar. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)

Real Madrid’s game later tonight, thus, will be Mendoza’s audition in a way as the board and management will undoubtedly have their spotlight firmly fixed on him. His performance against Real Madrid, after all, will say a lot about his calibre.

Going up against the likes of Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde, Arda Guler, and Jude Bellingham, the player will face one of the biggest tests of his career yet.

Should he pass the audition, he will put pressure on the Real Madrid board to process Alonso’s request and make him a part of the same dressing room next summer.

Still just 20 years of age, Mendoza has his entire career ahead of him and has a release clause placed at a meagre €20 million for June.

He has, however, attracted interest from several of Europe’s elite including Juventus, Manchester City, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Arsenal, and Real Madrid must thus act fast and make a decision over whether they are interested in his signing.