Real Madrid are selling Achraf Hakimi to Inter Milan on the cheap

Ahcraf Hakimi is headed to Inter Milan for a bargain fee.

Dani Carvajal’s stranglehold on the starting right back at Real Madrid leaves Ahcraf Hakimi surplus to requirements for the Spanish giants. That explains why the club are selling him this summer, but it fails to justify Real’s decision to let him leave for Inter Milan on a relatively cheap transfer.

Reports claim Hakimi will be making the move to Antonio Conte’s club for a transfer fee of somewhere around £40 million. That may seem like a hefty fee in the wake of the current global pandemic, but it’s actually a fraction of what Hakimi should be worth on the open market.

The Morrocan international has proven his quality for Borussia Dortmund while being on loan for the last two seasons. He is not a player who doesn’t understand what it’s like to play big matches for a club in a big league. Inter Milan’s coaching staff clearly understands he can walk right into their starting XI and perform at a high level.

Admittedly, Hakimi isn’t the world’s greatest defender. His work at Dortmund largely came as a right-winger in a 3-4-3 formation. Conte is the perfect coach to help him refine the defensive part of his game. He already has demonstrated a terrific ability to carry the ball forward and become a threat on the attacking end of the pitch.

Real Madrid are parting company with him much too soon. They should have waited until later in the summer to really get serious about parting with such a valuable asset. Hakimi will arguably be the top right back available for transfer during the offseason. Selling a 21-year-old of that quality should have started a bidding war amongst several of the top clubs in Europe.

Instead, Real have elected to take Inter Milan’s offer and move on with the rest of their summer transfer business. The only logical explanation for this decision is that they want to secure an infusion of cash early in the window to fund a big purchase or two early in the summer.

That’s a good short-term strategy but it’s going to cost the club millions of pounds in the end. Hakimi’s transfer price should have been more in the range of £60-70 million. 21-year-olds with his combination of talent and experience don’t come available every summer. Real Madrid should have done better.