As Real Madrid prepares for the Club World Cup, Xabi Alonso will present himself to the world. However, he might be joined by another familiar face.
Real Madrid is a club with a rich history of exceptional players. A large reason for this is the club's maintenance of one of the best youth academies in the world.
However, not every player to come out of the Real Madrid academy ends up making it at Real Madrid. Indeed, they might seek success elsewhere, which is what one player has done.
That said, the player in question could be eyeing a return to Real Madrid, just in time for the Club World Cup.
Signs point to a familiar face returning to Real Madrid at Club World Cup
According to a recent report from MARCA, the Alvaro Carreras saga could reach a positive conclusion for Real Madrid soon. After finalising with Benfica, Carreras is expected to return to Real Madrid in time for the Club World Cup.
That is exceptional news for Real Madrid, who are bound to place a lot of emphasis on wide players under the new Xabi Alonso system. In many ways, Alvaro Carreras' return to Real Madrid feels like a natural conclusion.
Real Madrid has already secured plenty of business this summer, and it's great to see that Xabi Alonso has been thrown in the deep end straight away with some transfers. It shows the Real Madrid hierarchy trusts him and wants to support his plans by spending big money.
Despite Real Madrid's best attempts to lower the asking price, they will finally meet his release clause. The Spanish report claims that while negotiations haven't been easy, Benfica finally gave in, but not financially, as they always demanded the full release clause to be paid.
Real Madrid is known to haggle. While many would argue they don't need to given their financial position, it's what keeps them a rich club. This time, though, Florentino Perez didn't get his wish. Still, the release clause is a fair price for a player like Carreras.
Carreras left Real Madrid as a youngster, as he never made a senior appearance. However, maturing at 22 years old, he could spend his best days at the best club in the world.