Florentino and Xabi Alonso make a pact: they'll strengthen Real Madrid's weakest spot

The construction of the new sports project, under the technical direction of Xabi Alonso, means that the white club's top brass do not lose sight of the requests made by the Tolosa coach. One of the most notable is the activity in the transfer market, where the Basque coach is starting to point out upcoming targets.

The Club World Cup, with its positive and negative aspects, has changed the roadmap for the merengue squad at practically every level. In that sense, the executives led by Florentino Pérez have felt an increased urgency to secure the services of a center-back. The merengue coaching staff is clear about it: it's the addition that's most needed right now.

Transfer market rumors are pointing toward Ibrahima Konaté, but there are many doubts regarding the stages that this signing would go through. Especially since Liverpool has set a starting price of €50 million ($54.4 million) for the French center-back, who has a contract expiring in mid-2026. The ideal outcome of this saga would be the arrival as a free agent of the "5" red on the date his contract expires.

Xabi Alonso insists to Florentino Pérez: signing a center-back is not a suggestion, it's an obligation in practically every sense. Even though there are enough players, since the first team has five center-backs on the roster, the reports on each one do not yield the same results.

From bad to worse

What happened in the Club World Cup semifinals, the thrashing suffered against PSG, leaves both Antonio Rüdiger and Raúl Asencio in a complicated position. Both center-backs made major mistakes that paved the way for the rouge-et-bleu victory: the rest of their performance in the United States is not exactly remarkable either.

The doubts about Éder Militão are more than reasonable: he only played a few minutes in that match against PSG, with the goal of starting to regain his form. The "3" verdeamarelo has returned after his anterior cruciate ligament tear, an injury that already happened again last season... in the other leg.

David Alaba's situation is increasingly critical. With the Austrian "4" injured once again, from the Valdebebas offices they are doing everything possible to achieve his sale this summer. It will not be easy, so many executives already assume that the player will leave as a free agent in mid-2026, when his current contract with the team ends.

With Dean Hujisen as the only certainty in the heart of the white defense, Xabi Alonso is clear that the main target for the remainder of the market is a center-back. The white club's leadership keeps searching in the transfer market, waiting to solve Ibrahima Konaté's future, in order to strengthen the weakest area of Santiago Bernabéu locker room.