A new era has begun at Real Madrid with the arrival of Xabi Alonso. Not just that, but Real Madrid have very quickly reacted to a poor season which saw them crawl their way to the finish line and losing the league to Barcelona after also crashing out of the UEFA Champions League in humiliating fashion to Arsenal in the quarter-finals.
Carlo Ancelotti has departed the club and former Real Madrid player Xabi Alonso arrives as a manager who is very different to the Italian and will want to make his mark as soon as possible and it all begins with the FIFA Club World Cup in its new format.
It’s easy to criticize yet another tournament and more games being added which leads to a lot less rest for the players but there’s also a lot of reasons to be excited about this tournament.
1. Xabi Alonso's arrival
Let’s get the clearest one out of the way. Xabi Alonso’s arrival is an exciting one for the club after he has already made history at Bayer Leverkusen over the past couple years with an undefeated domestic league and Cup double last season before remaining unbeaten in away games this season as they hold the record (along with Bayern Munich) of 33 away league games without a loss.
It's also worth noting that he arrived at Bayer Leverkusen when they were on the brink of relegation.
Xabi Alonso knows the club very well as he was part of the squad that won La Decima and has coached the Real Madrid Under 14 team before moving to Real Sociedad B.
He has learned from previous managers after working alongside some of the biggest names in the game and now arrives at the club knowing exactly what is expected of him.
Because of that, he also arrives with some new names in the squad ready to help him reach his targets.
2. The new joiners
In recent seasons, Real Madrid haven’t made too many signings but whenever they did, it was always in quick fashion as they attempt to finalize all the transfers before the pre-season work begins. This season seems to be no different.
After the arrival of Alonso, Real Madrid announced the signing of one of the most promising central defenders in the game with Dean Huijsen arriving from Bournemouth. The Spaniard is not only a great defender but he also fits the Alonso style of play that we have become accustomed to.
In addition, Los Blancos also announced Trent Alexander-Arnold who arrives from Liverpool and needs no introduction as this generational talent automatically improves any team he's a part of.
They will be part of the team that travels to the USA for the Club World Cup and if you need any further proof that Real Madrid and Alonso are going to be taking this tournament seriously, Alexander-Arnold's arrival was meant to be a free transfer but Real Madrid decided to accept Liverpool's terms of paying a shocking fee for him to arrive ahead of this tournament.
With those two being the only confirmed transfers so far, there is definitely more on the way. Franco Mastantuono is expected to arrive at Real Madrid after the FIFA Club World Cup while Real Madrid have been linked to moves in order to bring in Alvaro Carreras and Nico Paz to the club as well.
3. More newcomers?
We know that Modric and Vazquez will both be leaving the club, but could there be anyone else? With Real Madrid making these signings, it sometimes means that others will have to make way.
The biggest name currently in this unknown territory is Rodrygo. The Brazilian is a sensational player but has struggled to keep up with expectations this season and has voiced his unrest at the club previously.
However, it now seems like he's willing to stay and fight for his spot but how much fighting will he need to do? I think we will see that in the Club World Cup. If he ends up reviving himself, it might be as good as a new signing for Los Blancos.
For the Club World Cup, it is expected that Jesus Fortea, Gonzalo Garcia and others will be traveling with the team for the competition. They may not be automatic starters, but he will be keeping a close eye on them to see what they can offer and how he can use them in the setup for the competition and the long season ahead.
4. The goodbyes
One player in particular that Real Madrid fans will keep an eye on is the legendary Luka Modric as he plays his final tournament with the team before moving on to AC Milan. The Santiago Bernabeu has already said its farewell to the greatest midfielder to grace the pitch but we're lucky enough to witness him in his last dance at Real Madrid.
The club want to win this trophy but even more so, Luka Modric will want to end his Real Madrid career lifting the FIFA Club World Cup before his official farewell.
In addition, the club also says goodbye to Lucas Vazquez who has been a magnificent servant to this club throughout the years and even though the Luka Modric farewell will be difficult, rest assured that the Vazquez one won't be too much easier.
The fighters
We know that Modric and Vazquez will both be leaving the club, but could there be anyone else? With Real Madrid making these signings, it sometimes means that others will have to make way. The biggest name currently in this unknown territory is Rodrygo.
The Brazilian is a sensational player but has struggled to keep up with expectations this season and has voiced his unrest at the club previously. However, it now seems like he's willing to stay and fight for his spot but how much fighting will he need to do?
Alonso will need to keep a close eye on him and if a big-money proposal arrives that Florentino Perez will want to accept, it may be down to the manager to give his final approval on it or believe that there is enough there to keep him.
In addition to Rodrygo, there are are other players who could be playing their final tournament at the club and it remains to be seen how things progress.
It could be argued that there are untouchables in the team such as Federico Valverde, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe among some others, but there are also names that could be leaving if they fail to impress or make their mark under Alonso for this tournament.
Time to get excited
The FIFA Club World Cup begins soon and it's unprecedented in this new format. Not only is it a title worth winning especially with the financial rewards that come with it, but it's also a way for the manager and the club to test new ideas and players against some of the top teams in the world.
With the tournament held in the United States, Real Madrid begin their path by playing against Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia), Pachuca (Mexico) and Salzburg (Austria). They're expected to make it through this group at which point, things get serious as they could be playing against Manchester City or Juventus before moving on in the latter stages of the competition.
This tournament is one to definitely keep you eyes on and hope that Real Madrid win it. It's not a friendly and shouldn't be treated like one.
It's time to get excited.