Disappointment for Xabi Alonso after losing this player, he's leaving for the Premier League

There are less than 48 hours left before the 2025 summer transfer windowcloses for good. While it is true that the Valdebebas offices have considered their involvement in this summer window concluded for weeks, Xabi Alonso still hasn't withdrawn his transfer requests.

These requests were sent to the board led by Florentino Pérez shortly after the experience gained at the Club World Cup. According to the Madrid coaching staff, participation in the competition organized by FIFA in the United States highlighted the need to bring in a center-back and a creative midfielder, preferably a defensive one.

Neither of these two signings has produced results during the final stretch of the current summer transfer window: any move after the signing of Álvaro Carreras has been postponed until 2026. That decision by Madrid's sporting management has allowed other elite European clubs to get ahead of Real Madrid for several players who genuinely interested Xabi Alonso.

One of the most notable was Piero Hincapié. That interest was also no surprise to the Madrid leadership, given that the Tolosa coach already knew the Ecuadorian center-back from his time at Bayer Leverkusen. Xabi Alonso had made the werkself number "3" one of his regular starters, showing excellent impressions that he wanted to see replicated at the Madrid stadium.

Bad luck

It couldn't happen. When it seemed that the Central American defender would remain at the BayArena, a surprise offer from Arsenal reportedly triggered a last-minute team change. Xabi Alonso already knew that Piero Hincapié would move to Arsenal before the transfer was made official: Mikel Arteta called the Madrid coach to ask about the center-back's qualities.

Xabi Alonso's reaction to this last-minute signing in the 2025 summer transfer window shows his disappointment. The first-team coach left a very clear request at the Valdebebas offices, accompanied by suggestions such as Piero Hincapié himself... but the Madrid leadership hasn't made a move for any of those players.

All because of the roadmap kept by Madrid's sporting management. For 2026 Real Madrid could add two center-backs as free agents, Ibrahima Konaté and Dayot Upamecano, to replace two immediate departures in defense: David Alaba and Antonio Rüdiger. Both the Austrian number "4" and the German number "22" are expected to see out their contracts, which end as soon as this season finishes.

Given these circumstances, Real Madrid has decided not to intervene in the signing of Piero Hincapié in order to stay active in its double "free" signing next year. That way of facing the future of the Ecuadorian player, one of his top requests to complete Santiago Bernabéu locker room, has slightly disappointed the Tolosa coach.