Rafael Benitez appointed Real Madrid coach: 5 things to watch out for
An Eye for Talent
Benitez is more often right when it comes to quality signings. For Liverpool, he brought in the likes of Xabi Alonso, Pepe Reina, Luis Garcia, Javier Mascherano, and more. He made mistakes, no doubt, as Alberto Aquilani and Milan Jovanović were just two examples of signings made in the late stages of his Liverpool tenure that proved to massive failures with quick exits.
However, he proved much the same at Napoli helping to secure the signatures of players like Dries Mertens, Jose Callejon, and most notably, Gonzalo Higuain, all players that have made a regular impact in the Napoli first team.
While he’s had his fair share of poor signings, there aren’t many managers who could say they haven’t had the same experiences. With his Real Madrid wish list reportedly leaked, it appears that returning for Raheem Sterling, a player who he signed whilst at the Merseyside club, and bidding for David de Gea could prove excellent business.
Next: Tactically astute