The Real Madrid squad has been undergoing a serious rebuild so far under Xabi Alonso. The team looks unrecognizable from the one under Carlo Ancelotti in both name and philosophy. The club has been phasing out the older veteran players as they shift towards the new generation of players who will lead the club to copious amounts of success.
In his first summer in charge, Xabi Alonso made a number of marquee summer signings to shape the team to fit his identity and philosophy. The most marquee by name was no doubt Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Englishman arrived on a free transfer from Liverpool, and although out injured, is the exact kind of fullback for the Spaniard's system.
Since his arrival, the club has been tipped to sign a number of his former Liverpool teammates, with the most talked about one being Ibrahima Konaté. Many expect him to arrive on a free transfer in the summer of 2026, however, one former Real Madrid player has tipped the club to sign another Liverpool player who has taken over the Premier League in the last year.
Former Real Madrid star thinks Xabi Alonso must sign Trent Alexander-Arnold's friend
As reported by TeamTalk, former Real Madrid player Wesley Sneijder has backed Real Madrid to potentially sign fellow Dutchman and current Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch. The midfielder has emerged as a potential target of Xabi Alonso, and the Dutch legend has given him his stamp of approval.
Gravenberch joined Liverpool for €40 million in the summer of 2023 after failing to make an impact at Bayern Munich. Initially, he failed to make any impact at Liverpool under former manager Jürgen Klopp, but he has since blossomed into one of the Premier League's best midfielders under Arne Slot.
While speaking on Gravenberch, Sneijder raved about his progress he's made since leaving Bayern and how is a perfect profile midfielder:
"He’s really made progress. On the ball, off the ball, he’s become stronger in every way.Wesley Sneijder
He’s always looking ahead and has also become physically stronger. Really good."
While Gravenberch is no doubt a great midfield talent, the question still remains: do Real Madrid really need him? The club already has an overload in midfield with players like Jude Bellingham, Fede Valverde, Tchouaméni, Camavinga, Arda Güler, and Dani Ceballos. Adding on top of that, the speculation that Nico Paz will be returning next summer and Gravenberch just doesn't seem needed.