Real Madrid moved soon after the end of the domestic season, in which Xabi Alonso arrived as manager flanked by two new signing sessions in Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Los Blancos spent a combined € 70 million in the couple, but since then things have been delayed.
The original plan was to ensure that Alonso had the majority of a new backline for the tournament in the United States, with a left back that should also arrive. That left back has been identified as Alvaro Carreras by Benfica, after a good second season in the Estadio da Luz, but the negotiations are not going smoothly.
Real Madrid wanted to do a deal for around € 40 million, but so far Benfica has maintained their position that they want the full € 50 million in his release clause. Despite claims from an agreement, Los Blancos could not sign him before the tournament, and Benfica publicly confirmed that there was no deal. There has been a suggestion that Carreras was deeply unhappy about this and refused to play in their last two games of the tournament, making an unusual absence by Benfica's starting XI against Bayern Munich and Chelsea.
According to Marca, however, Real Madrid restarted the negotiations for Carreras. They say that the conversations are carried out by presidents Rui Costa and Florentino Perez himself, and that there is hope that a deal will be closed. For their part, Real Madrid and Carreras have an agreement on personal conditions that were arranged weeks ago.
Ferland Mendy, who is injured, can be on his way to the club when Carreras arrives. Recent reports state that Real Madrid Mendy will offer on the transfer market, allowing Carreras to compete with Fran Garcia. The latter has been one of the surprises of the tournament for Xabi Alonso and was the man of the game in their club World Cup Quater-final.