Xabi Alonso reportedly wants Real Madrid to sign a midfield reinforcement ahead of the 2025–26 season, and the new boss has a Premier League target in mind.
Real Madrid’s first six matches under Alonso at the FIFA Club World Cup highlighted several weaknesses still plaguing the La Liga runners-up. Along with a shaky backline that kept just two clean sheets in the United States, the team also lacked a star midfielder capable of dictating the flow of play.
Now that Real Madrid have said goodbye to club legends Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić in back-to-back seasons, there is a glaring hole in the heart of the midfield that Alonso is looking to fill this summer.
According to ESPN, the new boss is in the market for an organizing midfielder who can both control the tempo of a game and orchestrate attacks while also pitching in defensively. In short, “Xabi is missing his ‘Xabi’”.
Real Madrid were previously linked with Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller, but they have reportedly “ruled him out” for the time being. The club is also interested in Manchester City’s Rodri, though a deal for the Ballon d’Or winner “seems impossible” this summer.
Without a feasible option on the market, Alonso might have to look inward to develop one of his existing players into the midfielder of his dreams. In fact, he already began the process with Arda Güler at the Club World Cup. The 20-year-old, who typically plays on the right wing or as a No. 10, made four appearances as a central midfielder in the United States.
Güler played well up until the semifinals, where he ultimately struggled to gain any semblance of control against Paris Saint-Germain’s mighty midfield of João Neves, Vitinha and Fabián Ruiz. The Türkiye international needs much more time to grow into the role of a deep-lying playmaker if Alonso wants to rely on him against Europe’s top opponents.
Aurélien Tchouaméni and Eduardo Camavinga are options as well, but the two France internationals are not players who can truly organize Real Madrid. They both are known for their defensive contributions rather than their abilities to control a game with the ball at their feet.
If Real Madrid fail to acquire a new midfielder, Alonso will have his work cut out for him to build his midfield into one reminiscent of Real Madrid’s Champions League-winning trio of Kroos, Casemiro and Modrić.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Real Madrid Eye Man City Star As Xabi Alonso Makes New Transfer ‘Demand’.