Xabi Alonso calls him and asks him not to go to Atlético, his move to Madrid heats up

Atlético knows it needs to start moving urgently in the market ahead of next season. The Club World Cup made many teams secure major reinforcements right away. However, they have taken things more calmly and still have important matters to solve.

One of these is bringing in a center-back who can provide defensive security, something they've been lacking. One of the options they've considered is Bayer Leverkusen footballer Piero Hincapié. At 23 years old (23 años), they believe the Ecuadorian could be a great option for its backline.

However, they're going to face a major problem, as Xabi Alonso has gotten involved. The Basque coach has had him under his orders in recent years and reportedly asked to halt his transfer. There could be an unexpected change of plans and he could end up in Madrid, but with the white team.

Real Madrid has had his name on its list as a possible reinforcement for a long time. Although Huijsen has arrived, right now they aren't ruling out having to sign someone else. That's where Hincapié, due to Xabi Alonso's express wish, is gaining strength again.

Doubts with several Real Madrid players

The truth is that right now Real Madrid has doubts about its defense ahead of next season. Against PSG, both Rüdiger and Asencio made glaring mistakes that cost several goals. In the case of the academy player, it's the third time this has happened in the World Cup.

In addition, both have performed at a very low level throughout the tournament and their future is starting to be in jeopardy. The club isn't ruling out making more changes in defense and those two would be the ones singled out. This would only happen if a bargain appears, since the plans are different.

They trust this has been a minor setback, especially for the German as he recovers from his injury. The idea is that with Huijsen and Militao's return, they won't have as many problems. All this while they wait for Konaté in the summer of 2026.