Who is Eder Militao? The Real Madrid outcast linked to Tottenham and Liverpool

 

A number of LaLiga sides are feeling the COVID-19 pinch this month and, as such, teams have softened their stance on players they wouldn't usually look to sell in January. With no fans permitted to watch games live, gate receipts have dropped and Spanish sides need to find another source of income. 

 

The logical decision is to cash in on fringe players, whose departure can boost the coffers, be it by getting them off the books in terms of a loan deal or a permanent exit. One of those is Real Madrid defender Eder Militao, who, on the back of his 2019 arrival from FC Porto, has struggled to feature prominently. It's clear that the favoured starting centre-back pairing for Los Blancos is Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos, yet even in their absence, Zinedine Zidane has preferred Nacho to deputise rather than Militao, which has seen him start just one league game this season. 

 

Much of that has also been down to Militao's injury concerns of his own, with the Brazilian suffering a muscular problem in September before testing positive for COVID-19 in November. Nevertheless, a lack of game time means a January exit is a possibility, with a couple of Premier League powerhouses keeping tabs on the 23-year-old. 

 

Liverpool need another centre-back given their ongoing defensive injury woes, while Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho is seeking to bolster his backline, even after the summer arrival of Joe Rodon. The underwhelming displays of Davinson Sanchez means Mourinho remains in the market for another centre-back, which has seen Spurs linked with a move for Militao. With Gareth Bale and Sergio Reguilon recently switching Madrid for London, Spurs could well use the duo to help convince Militao to join the pair at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. 

 

A lack of game time in a Real Madrid shirt shouldn't deter potential suitors. Yes, it means Militao doesn't have the luxury of consistency, which has denied him the opportunity to take his game to the next level, nor does it give interested parties the chance to properly gauge how effective he has been in Spain, but if he can rediscover the form from his sole season in Portugal, then the youngster can prove to be a very shrewd addition to a side. 

 

 

It was with Porto that Militao really broke onto the European scene. Having excelled for Brazilian side Sao Paulo, the Liga NOS powerhouse took a chance on the versatile defender and were duly rewarded. Militao finished the 2018/19 Liga NOS season with a WhoScored rating of 7.63, that the best of all defenders and fourth highest overall, a leaderboard topped by a certain Bruno Fernandes (7.83). 

 

Able to play at both centre-back and right-back, Militao's ability to operate in two positions in the backline is an added bonus for those courting the Brazil international. One of his best traits is a willingness to bring the ball out from the back in a quest to set his side on the front foot. While some centre-backs may look to retain possession where possible and rely on the attacking personnel to get the ball rolling, so to speak, Militao is prepared to carry the ball forward, as evidenced in his 0.7 successful dribbles per 90 during his time with Porto. A 65.5% completion rate suggests he was, more often than not, successful when he did push forward. 

 

Off the ball, he is prepared to put in the graft to deny opponents, utilising the physical approach to limit their goalscoring opportunties. In his sole season in Liga NOS, Militao made 2.1 tackles per 90, that figure rising to 2.3 in LaLiga. Attackers also find it incredibly difficult to get the better of Militao with his tackle success rate a fine 82.2% in Liga NOS and 80.6% in LaLiga. 

 

And it's not just Militao's willingness to get stuck in that has caught the eye. His fine positional sense and awareness means he boasts a WhoScored strength of 'ball interception' to go with his strength of 'tackling'. While he hasn't featured prominently in Spain, Militao is still chipping in with 1.9 interceptions per 90, a slight dip on his 2.2 interceptions per 90 in Liga NOS, but a consistent throughout both leagues. 

 

The core issue remains, though, that a lack of regular game time in Spain has seen his career plateau after breaking onto the European scene in 2018. A move away from Madrid would require crucial minutes, and any side prepared to rescue him from Los Blancos would need to offer Militao first team action if he is to get his career back on track. However, if Militao does leave Real Madrid this month, then his next possible team will be signing a defender who, if his Porto performances are anything to go by, can yet go on to become one of the best.

Who is Eder Militao? The Real Madrid outcast linked to Tottenham and Liverpool