Xabi Alonso is well aware of the importance of midfield in the team and has therefore placed great emphasis on it. This season at Real Madrid has not gone as expected following the absence of Toni Kroos, and it was a priority for the club to sign new players for the midfield. In this regard, the club has signed Franco Mastantuono, who will arrive in August, but further signings are not ruled out in the short or long term, as the Spanish coach has arrived at the Santiago Bernabéu to build a project and a team over time.
Xabi’s wishes that fell by the wayside
Since his arrival at Real Madrid, and even weeks before, there has been much speculation about Xabi Alonso’s requests for signings, mainly for the midfield. “Did I ask for a midfielder? Our duty is to always want to improve. Therefore, since I have been coach at Madrid, I want to have this communication and vision with the club to agree on how we want to improve. The squad is very good and I want to start working with them. I arrive eager to work as a team and to improve,” he said.
In his quest to improve the midfield, Xabi Alonso always had two names in mind that ultimately did not materialize: Martín Zubimendi and Florian Wirtz. With the former, there was hope until the end, largely due to the player’s own words, assuring that Xabi Alonso was an idol and that the summer was very long, but, even though it is not official, his destination points to Arsenal, who have been willing from the outset to pay the player’s $60 million release clause. The Merengue club even considered including a player from its youth academy in the deal to lower the price.
As for the German player, Xabi Alonso knows him well from his time under his command at Bayer Leverkusen. Wirtz’s renewal with his club was already geared towards a big sale in the summer, and there is talk that Liverpool could reach 150 million for the player. The club did not want to undertake a deal of this magnitude unless Rodrygo left, and that possibility will not arise until after the World Cup, by which time it would be too late.
Two midfielders Madrid dreams of for the future
With the signing of Mastantuono, Real Madrid has strengthened itself for the present and the future, but the club has not given up on two old dreams whose situation could change in the near future. The midfield of Real Madrid’s dreams would be made up of Rodri and/or Fabián. The former’s contract with Manchester City expires next summer and he could be interested in a change of scenery. The player has been on Real Madrid’s radar for several years, but it has always been seen as impossible due to the transfer fee involved.
As for Fabián Ruiz, Real Madrid has been following the player since his time at Napoli. At that time, there were talks with the player, but there was overbooking in midfield and he was not going to get the playing time he wanted. Now, he is shining at PSG and with the national team, returning to the radar of the Whites after a great season in which he won the treble under Luis Enrique. The player’s contract expires in 2027 and, according to the specialist website transfermarkt, he currently has a market value of €40 million.