When Xabi Alonso arrived at Real Madrid this summer his first priority was to sort out the defense. The backline was a mess in the dying days under Carlo Ancelotti, and if Real Madrid hope to achieve any success this year, the defense needed fixing.
And that is just what Xabi Alonso has done. Three of Real's five summer signings were defensive players, all of whom have proven to be key pieces in the Spaniard's system. Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold have been the defensive signings getting the headlines, but the final defensive reinforcement has arguably been the best.
Ever since the departure of Marcelo after the 21/22 season, Los Blancos have been on the hunt for their long-term left-back and they have found it in Álvaro Carreras. The defender arrived from Benfica towards the end of the transfer window, and has blossomed into quite the player since his days in the Real Madrid academy.
Carreras left the Real Madrid system in 2020 for a venture at Manchester United that didn't go as planned and ultimately ended up at Benfica. That's where he established himself on the top level and in the early days of the season he is proving he has everything it takes to be one of the games top fullbacks.
Real Madrid have their new brick wall in defense and it isn't Dean Huijsen
The 22-year-old has shown his class in the early days of the season, but one stat in particular shows just how good Carreras really is. In a day when fullbacks are more attacking Carreras has mastered the defensive side of the game and it shows as not one player has dribbled past Álvaro Carreras in Real Madrid's last three matches.
That's not a typo. Álvaro Carreras has not been dribbled past in three matches. He is literally a brick wall.
While Huijsen and Alexander-Arnold have been getting all the headlines, Carreras has quietly been making his case as the best summer signing for Los Blancos.
Xabi Alonso has built what looks to be quite the defensive fortress, conceding only four goals in seven games so far. This has been quite the upgrade from the dying days of the Carlo Ancelotti regime, allowing Real Madrid fans to breathe a collective sigh of relief.