Real Madrid, after getting humiliated by PSG in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup on Wednesday, have hit the transfer sheets already.
They have, within 24 hours of the loss, agreed with Benfica on a deal for left-back Alvaro Carreras, who will join the club very soon.
They are also going to stay active in the transfer market and see whether there are any players worth going for in the summer.
Franco Mastantuono will also be joining the club in August, after his 18th birthday, which would then make it four Real Madrid signings for Xabi Alonso in his first season.
There is a huge difference between Xabi Alonso and Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid
Alonso, according to Fabrizio Romano on his YouTube channel, will actually have a say in the way the club makes their transfer decisions. He will be involved in the planning for the present and future of the club.
There is a big, big difference between Alonso and Carlo Ancelotti's stint at Real Madrid. At least the second one. Even though he got a few really talented players, Ancelotti never had a say in the decision-making for the players he wanted.
At least, that was what was being reported by the media, and it was clear that he did not have the backing of the board, either.
Now, though, the club is going to follow what the manager wants. This is what Ancelotti and, previously, Zinedine Zidane were hoping for.
This is something that any manager would want at a club like Real Madrid. Although they sign great players for their manager, they don't really involve them in the decision making process as much as the manager would want to.
So, having this bit of power at the club would be huge for Alonso. This does not necessarily mean they will do exactly what he wants - at least, I don't think they will - but they will involve him in the decision making much more than what we have seen previously, which is huge for the club as well as the manager.