If there's one thing we can say about Xabi Alonso, it's that we should allow any player he's coached to do the talking instead. The Spanish coach has done an excellent job of man-managing and forming close relationships with each of his former players.
This is why, unsurprisingly, most of Bayer Leverkusen's key players are leaving the club this summer. They were given reason to believe by Alonso and now that he's gone, they're seeking new adventures.
One of those players who is anticipated to join that growing list of departing Bayer Leverkusen players is Piero Hincapié. The Ecuador international is allowed to leave the former Bundesliga champions this summer, and Arsenal is believed to be the front-runners.
Arsenal rob Xabi Alonso of his dream Real Madrid reunion
This morning, Fabrizio Romano claimed that Hincapié had said yes to Arsenal, and even agreed to personal terms. The center back favors a move to Arsenal and now, it's on the Gunners to enter club-to-club negotiations with Leverkusen.
Real Madrid is one of the interested clubs and could even make a move for Hincapié. As it stands, Real Madrid has not made any concrete move, but they are believed to be keeping tabs on his situation.
Xabi Alonso will only recall positive memories of coaching Hincapié. The two had a nice working relationship, so it's no wonder why Real Madrid is mentioned in the same sentence as signing him.
It would be the most Real Madrid move ever, and many would argue that Los Blancos need a new central defender to come in and help Dean Huijsen.
At the moment, Real Madrid's current options may suffice. However, long-term, Huijsen isn't enough to address their ageing defense problem.
This is where Hincapié would have been a great signing. He is just 23 years old, and he's versatile enough to play as a center back or a left-back. It's redundant to say that this is the type of player Xabi Alonso loves, given his history with the versatile defender already.
Real Madrid's moves over the next few days won't be as telling as most people would think, though.
Of course, Real Madrid allowing Arsenal to sign one of their transfer targets doesn't look great but... This is Real Madrid. There is always a long-term plan.
No matter where Hincapié ends up, if Xabi Alonso wants him at Real Madrid in the future, he'll likely get him at Real Madrid in the future.