Neither Mastantuono nor Carreras, the signing with first and last name that Xabi requested

Real Madrid is delighted with the squad it's building, and Xabi is also happy. However,  the coach would like to have one more addition that could influence the team's play. He believes that after Kroos and Modric's departures, they need to have a footballer with that profile.

"Xabi Alonso wanted to sign a playmaker, but Real Madrid told him that what they have is enough," Carlos Carpio said a few hours ago in Marca. This is something Ancelotti has already requested internally and wasn't successful. It remains to be seen whether the club will finally sign a midfielder for him or reject that possibility.

Following this news, many speculations have been published. Some journalists say that Xabi Alonso directly requested the signing of Martín Zubimendi, but the player already has an agreement with Arsenal. That would prevent him from joining the Madrid side, but nothing has been made official yet.

A complex situation

In his latest statements, Martín Zubimendi hinted that he hadn't made any decision regarding his future, but in England they contradicted this. Everyone takes for granted that the Real Sociedad footballer will join Arteta's Arsenal to strengthen the midfield. 

He is a high-level player, the natural replacement for Rodri Hernández in the national team. He is possibly a player who would be important in any major European team, but at Madrid he hasn't fully convinced. They don't doubt his quality, but they don't believe he's superior to Camavinga or Tchouaméni, even though they're different players.

Watching the market

This is how things stand at Real Madrid right now.  They haven't made the decision to sign a central midfielder in the summer transfer window, but they're scouting all possibilities. It's not ruled out that a player could arrive, but they don't see it as urgent, because Arda or Mastantuono could also adapt to that position.

The players in the Madrid squad are motivated, because they believe they can silence many critics this season. Xabi has just arrived and they're still learning the new routines and tactical concepts. They're going to try to attack in a different way than they did with Ancelotti, which takes time.