Real Madrid is facing crucial weeks in planning its future, with the immediate goal of winning the Club World Cup. That is the most immediate and priority objective of the new Xabi Alonso era, which is about to get underway. The Whites are finalizing signings in the extra transfer window that FIFA has opened for the tournament.
Signings completed… or almost completed by Real Madrid
Real Madrid’s poor season has highlighted the shortcomings and priorities for the summer transfer market. The needs were clear, and Real Madrid has not been slow to take steps in the market. Even before the end of the season, the Whites made official the signing of center back Dean Huijsen. The young player has signed with the Whites until June 2030.
Despite his youth, the player has shown himself to be very solid in defense, both for the Spanish national team and for Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth. In addition, he has shown offensive potential for the English team, demonstrating great ability in the air with his height of 6’5″.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid announced the arrival of Trent Alexander-Arnold on Friday. The right-back has been a long-term signing. The English player has a great attacking instinct, which will be very useful for the wing-back system that Xabi Alonso has used at Bayer Leverkusen and hopes to replicate at Real Madrid.
His signing has been delayed because, although the player was convinced and his contract with Liverpool was coming to an end, the date of his arrival had yet to be decided. His contract expires on June 30, and in order for him to play in the Club World Cup, Real Madrid had to pay compensation to the English club. This compensation has been set at around €5-10 million.
Those are the players who have already signed, but Real Madrid is already working on signing a left-back such as Álvaro Carreras, whose signing seems imminent. The Galician full-back has had a great season at Benfica and could return to the Whites, where he was already in the youth academy, in exchange for around €50 million. In addition, there is talk of buying back Nico Paz from Italian side Como for €8 million, as well as signing German midfielder Angelo Stiller, who, in principle, would be left until after the World Cup at a cost of between €40-50 million.
Xabi must decide on departures
As far as departures are concerned, the Whites have made official the departure of Vallejo and Luka Modrid. It is also known that Lucas Vázquez will not renew his contract and will say goodbye after the World Cup. On the other hand, there are several players with their future in doubt, on whom Xabi Alonso will have the final say, such as Lunin, who wants to leave and gain prominence; Rodrygo, who wants to stay but will have to earn it; Endrick, with offers to leave and a desire for a leading role; Alaba, who still has a contract but has the door open to leave; Ceballos, who is expected to stay but will depend on signings; and Brahim.
Xabi has plans for Brahim, who is of interest to Bayer
In his presentation, Xabi said he had analyzed the squad and wanted to get the most out of each and every player individually to build a team with untold potential. One of the players whose talent he wants to squeeze out is Brahim. The new Real Madrid coach believes he has great potential that he wants to exploit more than Ancelotti did. The Basque coach believes the player can play in several positions, such as striker, attacking midfielder, or winger. This versatility has also caught the attention of Ten Hag’s Bayer Leverkusen. According to Defensa Central, the German club wants to reinvest the more than $100 million that Wirtz will leave, and the Malaga-born player is part of their plans.