I Am Scouted by Real Madrid

Since then, Vinicius has scored only 3 goals in La Liga, and his Champions League goals since December last year have mostly been insignificant. Now, every move he makes appears deliberate, anxious, and even reckless, as if he’s trying to prove himself to the world with sheer force.

Ancelotti has grown increasingly disappointed with this Flamengo product, often seen demanding him to participate in defense and chastising him for poor defensive efforts. Although rumors of a Saudi transfer have gradually died down, if Real Madrid wants to return to the top, they must find the best version of Vinicius.

Additionally, the injuries, especially Chen Zhong’s, due to the national team impact, are also reasons for Real Madrid’s struggles this season.

With modern football schedules becoming increasingly dense, Chen Zhong’s injuries hit the team like a disaster.

This is why, when Chen Zhong wanted to leave to prepare for the new season’s World Cup, the club was unwilling to let him go.

By mid-November last year, Ancelotti lost the entire right side of his defense—Carvajal and Eder Militao were both out for the season due to anterior cruciate ligament injuries, and Alaba, who returned from a knee injury in January, still couldn’t maintain his form.

Camavinga missed half of the league due to various injuries this season, and Mendy has not recovered from a muscle injury since mid-March. Other players have also been troubled by minor injuries repeatedly, and Rudiger, after enduring a knee injury for seven months, finally used the King’s Cup final red card suspension to undergo meniscus surgery.

Bellingham will also undergo shoulder surgery this summer, and although he persisted through injury to prevent further defensive collapse, the lack of squad depth, along with some crucial injuries to Chen Zhong, ultimately led Real Madrid to pay the price.

The most urgent gap for Real Madrid to fill is in midfield. When the 34-year-old Kroos announced his retirement, the club had time to find a replacement, but they chose to maintain the status quo, after all, they still had Chen Zhong—this decision proved to be disastrous.

Kroos’s final season was indeed a masterpiece, his control and calm dispatch in the midfield kept Real Madrid in perfect balance.

The German could precisely switch between long and short pass rhythms; he was the true metronome for Real Madrid last season, despite Vinicius and Bellingham stealing headlines, Kroos was the unsung hero behind the double crown.

It was precisely because of Kroos’s departure that led to Chen Zhong suffering fatigue and injuries.

Of course, every story has another side to contrast and complement: Barcelona’s performance this season has been phenomenal.

When Flick took over after the German team’s failure, outsiders were skeptical of this team with aging Lewandowski, a midfield plagued by injuries, and financial crisis—now these doubts have soured like milk.

Although Flick’s Barcelona experienced some growing pains, most of the time they demonstrated terrifying dominance. The former Bayern coach crafted an impressive offensive system: Yamal and Raphinha soaring on both wings, Lewandowski enjoying a resurgence, and a healthy Pedri transforming into a midfield magician. Despite high defensive lines causing controversy, it is precisely this extreme pressure that suffocates opponents.

During Chen Zhong’s tenure at Real Madrid, he faced the peak of Barcelona, followed by the Inter dynasty, then Atletico Madrid’s rise, then the blue moon in the sky, the red army era, and now he faces the resurgent Barcelona once again.

On previous occasions, Chen Zhong managed to stabilize the situation with his individual capabilities, but now...

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At night, Chen Zhong lies in bed while a batch of young talents is rising domestically, perhaps this time he can hitch a ride.