Real Madrid have been trying to sign Alvaro Carreras for a few weeks now, but it just has not happened.
It is clear information that both Xabi Alonso and Real Madrid need a new left-back at Real Madrid, and Carreras checks a lot of the boxes that Alonso wants checked.
He is a good full-back with great two-way presence. He can defend well, goes forward to put in some good crosses, and is quick enough to get back to position. It will be a good balance with Trent Alexander-Arnold on the other side, who already has a few objectives to start his time at the club.
However, despite offers from Real Madrid, a deal could not be struck in time for them to have a new left-back over the Club World Cup.
Benfica break silence on why Alvaro Carreras to Real Madrid has not happened yet
Carreras will still wear red in the inaugural tournament, and Benfica president Rui Costa has just explained why a deal has not been completed yet.
He said: "We have not reached an agreement with Real Madrid for Alvaro Carreras. The offers we received did not satisfy our demands."
Real Madrid will still pursue Carreras, according to Fabrizio Romano, but this is something that Real Madrid did not need before the competition.
It is clear that they will go out to win it, but right now, they only have Fran Garcia as the senior player available in the team. They have Diego Aguado and Yusi as back-ups, and hopefully Alonso trusts them, but they still need a left-back.
Carreras, whenever he joins the club, will help a lot in the long run. However, Alonso will need to figure out a plan for the position for this tournament.
Fran Garcia has simply not been good enough, and once he goes up against the PSGs and the Manchester Citys of the competition, it will become tough for him to compete. That is why Real Madrid were so hell-bent on Carreras.
Who knows, maybe one of the academy players will show up and defend really well. It will be interesting to watch.