It’s not Falcao, it’s Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez! Hernandez has officially sealed a move to none other than Real Madrid from Manchester United on season long loan with Real Madrid having the first option to buy next summer. “Chicharito” will wear his habitual number fourteen that was coincidentally previously left vacant by Xabi Alonso. Chicharito provides another attacking option that Real Madrid have lacked since the departures of Higuain and Morata as well as the injury to Jese.
What does “Chicharito” bring to Real Madrid?
He’s no Falcao and I’m sure many fans were disappointed not to have signed Falcao, but Chicharito is a great player in his own right. He brings pace and mobility inside the box which is something that Benzema lacks and is often criticized for. He has great aerial game as he can get above defenders more often than not and fire headers into goal. He’s a box player: he thrives in the box and lethal with either foot and head. Hernandez makes some of the most incisive runs Real Madrid fans will see. He’s a nightmare for defenders with his runs and pace and drags defenders out of place opening up more space for the likes of Ronaldo, Bale, Benzema. He finds the spaces that a striker needs to find and his positioning is excellent. He also bring big club experience and European experience. He knows what it means to play for big club in Europe and knows the pressure there is week in and week out. Chicharito is also a proven goalscorer in the Premier League. He’s a different kind of striker than Benzema and provides an alternative late in the game.
Will he start?
If anybody told me before the summer that Chicharito would be moving to Real Madrid on transfer deadline day I would laugh it off. Nobody expected such a move, probably not Hernandez himself. There were rumors of Southampton, Spurs, Inter Milan, AC Milan, and Juventus. Real Madrid was not mentioned at all in relation to Javier Hernandez. A club like Real Madrid buys the best players and obviously they’ve seen something positive in Hernandez that they believe can benefit the club. Chicharito is a natural goal scorer and when his confidence is high there’s no telling how many goals he can score. I do believe he’s already supremely confident and motivated for the simple fact that he’s joined such a club. The league could suit him well too since it’s not as ‘tough’ and demanding as the Premier League and he’s already performed in that environment. If he can bag a few goals in his early appearances there is a strong possibility that he could replace Benzema with his inconsistent form. When he arrived at Manchester United he was supposed to Berbatov’s backup, but quickly he made a name for himself and replaced Berbatov. Wouldn’t be surprised if the same happened at Real Madrid.
It’s a good move for both parties. Chicharito gets a new opportunity to prove the doubters wrong after a couple of inconsistent seasons where he didn’t receive much playing time. Ancelotti and Real Madrid get an exciting player that can come off the bench and change the game and reflect it on the scoreboard. Is he a ‘Galactico’? Not at all. He’s just Chicharito, a great player in his own right.
