Xabi Alonso to request €100m war chest to complete defensive double swoop at Real Madrid: Reports

Xabi Alonso is planning to invest around €100m in Real Madrid's defense this summer, according to Madrid Universal. The Bayer Leverkusen manager has already announced that he will leave the BayArena at the end of this season.

Multiple reports have stated that Alonso will take over from Carlo Ancelotti at the Santiago Bernabeu this summer, although there has been no official confirmation yet. The Brazilian Football Conference (CBF) have already confirmed that the Italian manager will take charge of the Selecao at the end of this season.

All such, Alonso is expected to be announced as Los Blancos' new manager soon. It now appears that the Spaniard is already planning to bolster his backline before the start of the new campaign.

Real Madrid are now eyeing two defenders on their incoming manager's behest. The first name on Los Blancos' wish list is Dean Huijsen, the Spanish center-back who has caught the eye of Bournemouth this season.

The 20-year-old is wanted at Chelsea and Liverpool as well but apparently has his heart set on a move to the Santiago Bernabeu. The player reportedly has a €58m release clause in his deal, which can be paid in three installments within 18 months.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid also want to add more quality to the left-back position this year. The LaLiga giants have identified Alvaro Carreras as an upgrade on Ferland Mendy and Fran Garcia.

Carreras spent three years at Los Blancos' academy before moving to Manchester United in 2020. He has been in superb form since leaving the Red Devils permanently last summer to join Benfica. The 22-year-old has a €50m release clause in his deal.

Can Real Madrid sign Bruno Fernandes?

Former Rangers striker Ally McCoist has backed Real Madrid to sign Bruno Fernandes. The Portuguese midfielder has consistently been Manchester United's best player in the past few seasons and has recently been linked with the LaLiga giants.

Speaking recently to talkSPORT BET, McCoist insisted that Fernandes could leave Old Trafford if Los Blancos come calling.

“I think Bruno Fernandes will stay at the club. But I think if he got the opportunity to go to a top European club like Real Madrid, he’d take the chance. There’s only a small selection of clubs I think he’d consider leaving Manchester United for, but it’s definitely a possibility," said McCoist.

The 30-year-old could be a replacement for Luka Modric at the Santiago Bernabeu.

About the author

Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over six years at Sportskeeda. He has written 9000 articles for the website, and has garnered over 19.5 million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.

Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.

Know More

Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer