Real Madrid could have a new look next season. Beyond the new changes to the personnel on the pitch and the fact that Xabi Alonso is set to replace Carlo Ancelotti as the manager, the new coach could have a new formation for the Merengues.
Although Real Madrid traditionally play a 4-3-3, they have successfully utilized a diamond 4-4-2 formation under Carlo Ancelotti, particularly in 2023/24 when it helped buoy them to a third Champions League title under the Italian manager.
A 3-4-3 would be new territory for Real Madrid. MARCA's Miguel Angel Lara has reported that Alonso intends to bring this formation to the Spanish capital. While that may not come to fruition and Alonso could use other variations of a back three like a 3-5-2, let's engage in a thought experiment and say that Alonso primarily uses a 3-4-3 or even uses it along with other variant formations.
If that is the case, here are three Real Madrid players who won't like this change.
CM Eduardo Camavinga
A 3-4-3 formation most directly affects the box-to-box midfielders because it is a two-man midfield formation. The other two players in the "four" are the wing backs, which will likely be a combination of Trent Alexander-Arnold and a new attacking left back. At Bayer Leverkusen, Alonso was supported by one of world football's best wing back tandems in Spaniard Alex Grimaldo and Dutchman Jeremie Frimpong.
If Alonso's plans at Leverkusen are mirrored at Real Madrid but with a 3-4-3, then the double-pivot with one box-to-box midfielder and one playmaker will likely be the move. The thing is, Real Madrid have a glut of mouths to feed in midfield and two deep-lying holders in Aurelien Tchouameni and Arda Guler and then two elite box-to-box all-arounders in Jude Bellingham and Fede Valverde.
Eduardo Camavinga can play box-to-box, but he's not going to be one of the top four midfielders with Guler's breakout in the Andrea Pirlo role. And both Jude and Fede are miles ahead of Camavinga in terms of their creative output, consistency, ability to avoid positional errors, and quality on the ball.
Clearly, Camavinga is too good to ride the bench, but a back three system is only going to push the talented Frenchman further into the periphery of the squad.
CM Dani Ceballos
If Camavinga is going to suffer from a move to a 3-4-3 formation, then Dani Ceballos is almost certainly going to be in trouble when Xabi Alonso comes in if he morphs the midfield and overall Real Madrid tactical system.
While Ceballos was an important player to Real Madrid in the first half of their first season sans Toni Kroos, he was almost completely discarded by the end of it. And when he did get opportunities, such as in the final Clasico of the campaign, he completely screws them up and reminds everyone that his level is nowhere near that of a starter at Real Madrid.
At this point, it's not at the level of a squad player. Fewer midfielders means fewer opportunities for Ceballos, who is quite literally last on the totem pole and has sunk even further after Guler's switch to a deeper midfield role. It's hard to envision Ceballos having a future in Madrid.
LB Ferland Mendy
The same can be said for Ferland Mendy, but even before Alonso was reportedly set to take over and even before rumors of a 3-4-3 formation switch hit, Mendy was already on the outs with one year left on his contract and continued injury woes.
Although Mendy is actually the team's best left back when healthy, that's really only down to the fact that Fran Garcia is not a Real Madrid caliber player. Mendy used to be a quality starter for Real Madrid and has played a key role in multiple LaLiga and Champions League triumphs on the strength of his unique and stalwart defensive skills, but even those have deteriorated while he attacking output has been an even bigger albatross on the Merengue club than ever before.
There is simply no way that Mendy plays as a left wing back in a 3-4-3. Potentially, the move to a back three could help Mendy as a center back, but he's so insecure on the ball and so unreliable defensively after this low point of a 2024/25 campaign that Real Madrid may be better off axing him regardless of this potential positional switch.
Because they could just as well sign another center back. At left wing back, it's clear that Alonso isn't going to stand for a player at the position who can't cross, now struggles in one-on-ones, and can barely make a threatening progressive pass. Mendy is done in Madrid.