Despite an already extremely ambitious transfer window, Xabi Alonso was hoping for even more. According to Mario Cortegana for The Athletic, Real Madrid invested heavily before the Club World Cup, spending close to €180 million to strengthen the squad. But the Madrid coach wanted additional reinforcements, especially to broaden his options in midfield.
The Spanish manager felt his group was still a little short in the engine room despite the scale of the summer overhaul. He asked the club’s hierarchy for more signings, but no further deals were completed. And according to the same source, Xabi Alonso should not get his wish in January either, as no new arrivals are expected this winter.
A €180m Summer Rebuild
On paper, however, Real Madrid did strike hard in the market. The biggest outlay was for Dean Huijsen, signed from Bournemouth for €62.5 million, while Álvaro Carreras returned from Benfica for €50 million to secure the left flank. The club also bet on the future by landing Argentine prodigy Franco Mastantuono from River Plate for €45 million at just 18 years old. These moves were complemented by the arrivals of Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool for €10 million and Álvaro Rodríguez from Elche for €2 million, bringing the total close to €170 million.
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At the same time, Real Madrid multiplied smart, low-cost moves. Lucas Vázquez arrived on a free from Bayer Leverkusen, as did Jesús Vallejo from Albacete and Luka Modrić from AC Milan for a return as symbolic as it was strategic. Rafa Obrador came back from loan at Deportivo La Coruña, Mario Martín joined on loan from Getafe, and Reinier also returned from Atlético Mineiro under undisclosed financial terms.
Despite this colossal effort, it is easy to see why Xabi Alonso still considers his squad a work in progress, especially in midfield. The club has massively strengthened its defense and planned for the future, but without satisfying all of the coach’s wishes. Alonso will therefore have to make do with the current group in the months ahead, and it remains to be seen whether a bench still judged a little thin, particularly in the middle of the park, will end up weighing on the season.
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