(Football News) Nacho’s future has been a doubt for almost 6 months now. The Spaniard is in the final year of his contract and while he had an offer from Real Madrid there was also interest from elsewhere. Nacho has never been a guaranteed starter at Real Madrid and it is likely that he never will be one. So it is understandable that at the age of 33, he wants to play regularly. However, he is one of the very few one-club men left and he has been at Real Madrid since 2001 when he was 11 years old. Now the defender has officially announced that he will stay for at least another year.

Karim Benzema’s departure may have been a factor in Nacho’s decision to stay. The culture at Real Madrid is always that the player who has been with the first team the longest will be captain. Benzema was that guy but with his departure, Nacho is next in line. The prestige of being Real Madrid’s club captain is something, not many people experience. The player may have thought that he will be club captain for a year and then weigh his options later. As of now the order of captaincy is Nacho, Luka Modric, Dani Carvajal, and Toni Kroos. Modric’s future is now being questioned due to an offer from Saudi Arabia just like Benzema.

As a player, Nacho is any manager’s dream because of his attitude and versatility. The Spaniard can play anywhere across the back four and look comfortable. In Real Madrid’s astounding 4-2 against Liverpool at Anfield, Real Madrid were 2-0 down when Nacho replaced David Alaba at left-back. The game turned on its head and opposition manager Jurgen Klopp praised the player. He is a fighter on the pitch and always works his socks off. Nacho may not be one of the first names on the team sheet but his importance cannot be questioned. 

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