Desperation in sight? Madrid brings forward Xabi Alonso's debut and seeks reinforcements

Real Madrid will present Xabi Alonso as the new coach of Real Madrid in the first week of June. After confirming Carlo Ancelotti's arrival to the Brazilian national team and the Spanish coach's farewell to Bayer Leverkusen, Florentino Pérez is already clear about his roadmap for the upcoming Club World Cup.

In principle, the 'Casa Blanca' was betting on the presence of Santiago Solari (football director) as interim coach for the tournament organized by FIFA, but the latest defeats in the Copa del Rey (3-2) and La Liga (4-3) against FC Barcelona force the 'merengues' to go all out in the tournament that will take place in the United States.

Hence, Florentino prefers to anticipate Alonso's debut as Madrid coach for mid-June. This, in turn, means opening the checkbook to make several incorporations to a squad harshly punished by injuries and poorly made.

💶Xabi Alonso will have, at least, three reinforcements for the Club World Cup

The first confirmed signing for the tournament that starts on June 14 in Miami is Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Liverpool full-back arrives 'free of charge' to cover for Dani Carvajal, whose return to action is still uncertain after the serious knee injury suffered at the end of 2024.

In addition, the club prioritizes incorporating another left-back (the club does not trust Fran García) and, mainly, a central defender. Antonio Rüdiger must return in time for the tournament, but the idea is to sign another experienced defender. One of the viable options is Jonathan Tah, who has also been in Barcelona's orbit for months.

The other incorporation points to the center of the field, with a creative footballer to accompany Fede Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni as the team's organizer. At the moment, the name of Nico Paz (Como of Italy) is one of those that sound the strongest on the 'merengue' radar, after his good time in Serie A and past through the Madrid academy.

❌Florentino Pérez does not want another fiasco in the Club World Cup

Mbappé and Bellingham, during the last Barça-Madrid (4-3)

In that sense, the position of the Real Madrid board points to making an extra effort to reinforce a team, by all accounts, physically and mentally melted after a disastrous season. 

Madrid's planning for 25726 failed miserably, trusting that the arrival of Kylian Mbappé was enough to repeat what was done in the previous year. Florentino Pérez repeated the mistakes of the past by underestimating Hansi Flick's Barça and precipitating the wear and tear of a successful project led by Carlo Ancelotti.

Now, the 'merengues' seek to cover up embarrassments with the Club World Cup, an unprecedented tournament that catches clubs in the middle of the holiday period and dealing with the heat of the American summer. 

If Madrid keeps the tournament, it will be a boost to the cycle that begins with Xabi Alonso. Otherwise, it will be a 'blow' that can decide the fate of the tolosarra on the white bench ahead of time. Anything short of reaching at least the final of the tournament in the United States will be considered a resounding failure.

The bet is very risky, but Florentino knows that the fans and members need an immediate distraction to forget the disaster that was the 25/26 and the repeated humiliations against Barça. 

⚽Real Madrid's schedule in the 2025 Club World Cup:

1. Real Madrid vs Al-Hilal. June 18 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami (21:00 CEST).
2. Real Madrid vs Pachuca. June 22 at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte (21:00 CEST).
3. Red Bull Salzburg vs Real Madrid. June 27 at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia (03:00 CEST).