Short-haired man with a beard looking down with a serious expression and a blurred background; in the upper right corner, there is a circle with the blurry image of another person. — Xabi Alonso and the central midfielder he wants to sign | Real Madrid Confidencial

Camara — Xabi Alonso and the central midfielder he wants to sign | Real Madrid Confidencial

Xabi Alonso expressly asks for the signing of this midfielder, one of the best in Europe

Xabi is clear about the name of the midfielder for the team, but it will be a very tough operation

19/07/2025 01:40:00h

Didac Aguirre

The midfield is one of the positions that still leaves the Whites with quite a few doubts for this upcoming season. While it's true that there must be important footballers in this area, they want to keep strengthening. For this reason, and according to what Defensa Central has learned, Alonso wants Nicolò Barella.

This Inter Milan player has been known for being one of the most important in his area and one of the best in the world. For this reason, his addition is one of the coach's biggest desires, although it will be complicated.

Soccer player wearing Inter Milan’s blue and black uniform during a match

Barella during a match with Inter Milan | Real Madrid Confidencial

At 28 years old, he has everything needed to become a reference for Madridism, but the main problem is his contract until 2029. This makes him a target that, while quite solid for the midfield, is also quite expensive.

It gets complicated because of his contract

This player would definitely be a 10 out of 10 addition for the Whites, since some even compare him to the type of player Luka Modric was in his prime. However, this isn't a simple operation, since, with such a long contract, it's difficult for him to join the Whites.

Soccer player in a white uniform with a captain's armband speaking into a microphone in a stadium full of fans

Luka Modric saying goodbye to Bernabéu | Real Madrid Confidencial

His current market value is approximately €75 million (about $81.6 million), and it could even rise, since he's a vital piece at Inter. After losing the Champions League final, they're surely going to want to strengthen and prevent their key players from leaving the team.

With this in mind, it's necessary to look at the options Real Madrid have to actually carry out an operation of this magnitude without first making some departures. Surely, one or two could be made just before focusing all their efforts on this addition.

They'll try to fulfill Alonso's wish

While it's true that this operation is quite complicated, at least the board will surely look for the perfect formula to make it happen. That said, it won't come with a 100% promise of being fulfilled, since it's not easy. Surely, the player wouldn't look unfavorably on making the jump to the best team in the world today.

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