15 hours after the humiliation, Florentino Pérez makes a shocking decision for Lucas Vázquez

After another disastrous performance on the right side of Real Madrid’s defence against Barça in the Superclasico on Sunday, Lucas Vázquez has lost the trust of the Madrid supporters and Florentino Pérez. Following the 5-2 thrashing in the final, a bold decision by the Madrid board has sealed the fate of the 33-year-old defender.

After yet another humiliation against FC Barcelona within the space of three months, the Real Madrid hierarchy is on high alert. Despite the talent within the squad, several players are not performing. With a manager who also surprises with his choices, particularly in defence, Real Madrid is set to experience a very painful second half of the season, as the team is not playing well and failing to win against top opponents. Speaking about the defence, which once again faltered against Barça in the Supercup final on Sunday night in Saudi Arabia, Lucas Vázquez looks set to be the big loser, especially given the instructions given by Florentino Pérez.

Pérez wants urgent recruitment for the right side

15 hours after the humiliation, Florentino Pérez makes a shocking decision for Lucas Vázquez

While Aurélien Tchouaméni’s name is also heavily criticised for his catastrophic performance at centre-back, Vázquez is the one who is causing the most concern. The only natural right-back in the first team since Dani Carvajal’s serious injury, the 33-year-old once again proves that he is unreliable this season. Unlike the issue at centre-back, where Carlo Ancelotti can make adjustments by bringing in young Raúl Asensio alongside Rüdiger or reintroducing David Alaba to the squad, there is no solution for the right side of the defence.

Faced with the urgency of the situation, Marca reported on Monday that the Madrid directors have decided to abandon any idea of recruiting a central defender and focus on the position of Lucas Vázquez. Now convinced that the season could be bleak with the Spanish full-back, Florentino Pérez has instructed the board to explore all options on the winter transfer market. Once again, the Trent Alexander-Arnold file has become crucial on paper. According to reports, the Madrid board will do everything to bring in the Liverpool full-back this winter for a fee of around 25 million.

Is Lucas Vázquez’s time up?

15 hours after the humiliation, Florentino Pérez makes a shocking decision for Lucas Vázquez

In the event of failure, the reserve team will provide the alternative for Carlo Ancelotti. Just like Raúl Asensio, the young full-backs from the reserve team will have the opportunity to step up in hopes of salvaging the situation. Unless the coach stubbornly continues with Vázquez, who is not strong defensively, Real Madrid will likely seek new full-backs in the coming weeks.

For Lucas, this is bad news. Having served at the club since 2014 (373 matches, 38 goals), the 33-year-old defender seems to have reached his limits. With age, he has become unrecognisable defensively. It is worth noting that he was originally a right-winger, not a defender. With Carlo Ancelotti sticking to his ideas, Vázquez has over the years been assigned the right-back role, which explains some of the defensive vulnerabilities. Out of contract, the native of Curtis may well leave the Bernabéu at the end of the season at this rate.

Real Madrid will have to make strong decisions, even if it means upsetting some, to return to being a defensively solid team capable of playing as a unit. Without that, the season could end in disappointment, with illusions constantly being shattered. For now, Carlo Ancelotti, who is not helping the players with his non-existent tactical choices, is walking a tightrope. Everything could change at any moment.