Real Madrid will sign the 2 best center backs in the world in 2025 and 2026

Xabi Alonso keeps working, while his players are making the most of their summer vacation, to align all his expectations and plans within the current sports project. Despite the changes made so far, his coaching staff make it clear that there is still much to be done.

A clear example of those dynamics that need changes is in the transfer market. The heavy defeat against PSG in the Club World Cup semifinals has pointed to several players in all areas of the field. Especially in defense: Antonio Rüdiger and Raúl Asencio are now deprived of the reliability they previously had in the eyes of the Tolosa coach.

Given these circumstances, the white coach would have requested the addition of a center-back from the Valdebebas offices. That move should be made as soon as possible, given the urgency the white club has to fill a position that has quickly weakened over the last three seasons.

Amid the urgency triggered by Xabi Alonso, the white executives would have found their first target: Ibrahima Konaté. Liverpool's "5" finishes his contract in the summer of 2026, but the first-team coach's insistence could change the original plans for his transfer... since the white board wanted to make his addition official as a free agent.

Step by step

Given these circumstances, Real Madrid would try to sign the red footballer during the last weeks of the current summer transfer window. The English executives have set an asking price of €50 million ($54.4 million), which is high by white standards. Nevertheless, the board of directors led by Florentino Pérez would resort to direct negotiations with Liverpoolor an internal solutionto gather the amount requested by the English team.

The activity to strengthen the heart of the defense would not move away from the Premier League the following year. The summer of 2026 would begin with the goal of signing William Saliba, one of Mikel Arteta's regular starters at Arsenal. According to information from MARCA, the gunner's "2" gunner would be willing to "make a financial effort" to smooth his move to the Spanish capital.

Not only by giving up a higher salary than what Real Madrid can offer him, but also to reduce the final price of his transfer. Arsenal have no intention of putting him on the market, given his irreplaceable role and a market value above €80 million ($87 million).

The great hope of the executives led by Florentino Pérez in this regard is the pressure of losing Saliba as a free agent. That situation would motivate the occupants of the Emirates Stadium's executive area to bring forward the sale of the French center-back to 2026... allowing Real Madrid to operate with much lower figures compared to a usual transfer.