Real Madrid is ready for a major restructuring this summer for defense, where Trent Alexander-Arnold is already arriving from Liverpool and confirmed the signing of Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth. What is less clear are the outputs that the arrivals can follow.
Los Blancos also seems to be looking for a left back, with negotiations that are advanced for Benfica's Alvaro Carreras, who is their top choice for the function this summer. That would make three signing sessions for their backline, with veteran Lucas Vazquez the only obvious exit that comes at the end of his contract.
One of the potential victims is David Alaba. The Austrian veteran, now 32 years old, has yet to prove that he can come back to his best after a serious knee injury who kept him outside for a total of 13 months and returned in January. He is confronted with an uncertain future among the new manager Xabi Alonso.
One of the things that Carlo Ancelotti could have kept in the work was the arrival of reinforcements in January, but despite his supplications, Los Blancos decided against possible movements. They looked early in the signing of Alexander-Arnold, and even AC Milan right back Kyle Walker, who moved from Manchester City in January.
The condition was that Real Madrid had to save some money elsewhere, and that Alaba was elsewhere. Cadena Ser says that Alaba was offered a contract termination with his salary in January with his salary for the rest of the year, but it was an offer that he rejected. Alaba is considered one of the higher earners in the Santiago Bernabeu and has another year about his deal.
If Alonso were to use the three on the rear system that he was successful with at Bayer Leverkusen, and Alaba could go back to his former level, he could perfectly fit in with the plans of the Basque. However, he was tested as a left back in the Champions League against Arsenal, with disappointing results, and has lost the pecking order in the central defense, with Huijsen, Raul Asencio, Antonio Rudiger, Eder Militao and even Aurelien Tchouameni perhaps a headstart.