Real Madrid have been active in the summer transfer window since the appointment of Xabi Alonso from Bayer Leverkusen. He takes over a side that the now-Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti managed for four seasons.
Looking to improve on their second-place finish last season in LaLiga, and having only reached the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals after being knocked out 5-1 on aggregate by Arsenal, Los Blancos have already brought in three new defenders.
Dean Huijsen
Huijsen signed for Real Madrid on May 17. This made the Spanish international available for the Club World Cup, with Huijsen playing every match of Real Madrid’s campaign, with some fantastic performances.
Prior to the transfer, the 20-year-old defender was highly sought after by many other top clubs in Europe, such as Arsenal and Liverpool. This was after a fantastic season for Iraola’s Bournemouth, with the Cherries breaking their Premier League record points tally.
At Bournemouth, Huijsen made 36 appearances. This included 32 in the Premier League, where he scored on three occasions. He also went on to win 72.2% of tackles and made 116 successful duels.
Last season, defensive injuries were a major issue for Los Blancos, with then-manager Ancelotti stating that “Huijsen is a great player”, adding that defensive signings would be for the club.
Huijsen signed a five-year deal for Alonso’s side, with the deal worth £50 million, which will be paid in three instalments. This is a fantastic deal for Bournemouth’s transfer department, as just last season, the player was signed from Juventus last summer for just £12.6 million.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
After much speculation, Alexander-Arnold signed for Real Madrid. This happened on May 30, although it was announced he would be leaving earlier in the month.
The 26-year-old England international came through the youth ranks at Liverpool as young as six years old. After making his first-team debut in 2016, Alexander-Arnold went on to make 354 appearances for the Reds, scoring on 23 occasions.
At Liverpool, he won a plethora of trophies, including two Premier Leagues and a UEFA Champions League in 2019, with the final held at Atletico Madrid’s Riyadh Air Metropolitano.
Despite his first match in a Real Madrid shirt gaining very mixed reviews and getting subbed off early, the English international said that he “feels really good, and I’m happy to be here.” He started all of his side’s FIFA Club World Cup matches, but was subbed off in three of the five matches.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Rodrygo Joining the Premier League Should Be a Big Development
Álvaro Carreras
Alonso’s latest signing comes from Bruno Lage’s Benfica, where Carrera returns to his home country. He was signed from the Portuguese club for £42 million (€50 million) on a six-year deal.
For Lage’s Benfica, this has proved to be a fantastic sale. After initially loaning the player, the Lisbon-based club triggered a permanent transfer reported to be €6 million. This was activated after Carreras started 50% of the remaining matches of Benfica’s season.
Previously, he made 42 appearances in all competitions for Preston North End in the 2022-23 season. He also made 13 appearances for Granada in La Liga in the first half of the 2023-24 season.
Carreras is a left-footed defender who can play as a traditional full-back and a wing-back. As an attacking fullback, he was prolific from crosses and his ability to carry the ball forward. This was evident when he was involved in eight goal contributions for Benfica last season.
Carreras, who was born in Ferrol in the north-west of Spain, played in his home club Racing Ferrol’s academy, before joining Real Madrid’s academy, where he played for three seasons. He had a spell at Deportivo La Coruna in between.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Nicolo Campo
Recording Date: 05.07.2025