For most footballers, playing for Real Madrid remains the pinnacle. When he departed Paris Saint-Germain, Kylian Mbappé could have chosen any club in the world, but always dreamt of calling the Bernabéu home.
Similarly, just last summer, Trent Alexander-Arnold had been at Liverpool since the age of six, winning eight major honours on Merseyside, but the allure of Madrid was enough to convince him to move.
While high-profile free transfers has become a key part of Florentino Pérez's strategy, they're not adverse to splashing the cash when deemed appropriate. Aurélien Tchouaméni (€80m), Jude Bellingham (€103m) and Dean Huijsen (€60m) have all joined for sizeable fees in recent times. However, in the summer, there was one new recruit that Xabi Alonso requested that was not forthcoming, so would he have made a massive difference, had the coach got his wish?
The one player that got away for Real Madrid
As has been widely reported, Xabi Alonso was eager for Real Madrid to sign Martín Zubimendi upon his appointment last summer. He saw the Spanish international as a much-needed ball progresser at the base of his midfield, following the recent departures of Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić.
Instead, Arsenal acted faster, securing the signature of the 26 year old in early-July, paying Real Sociedad a reported fee of €65 million. Well, his major error at the weekend notwithstanding, Zubimendi has been a key figure for the North London-based outfit, who are currently top of both the Premier League and Champions League.
He has started 28 of 30 matches across those two competitions, and this consistency, both in terms of performance and availability, would have been invaluable to Madrid. Under both Alonso and now Álvaro Arbeloa los Blancos have deployed 14 different midfield trios this season.
Different Real Madrid starting midfield trios (2025/26)
Trio | Number of matches started |
|---|---|
Tchouaméni, Bellingham & Güler | 8 |
Tchouaméni, Camavinga & Bellingham | 5 |
Valverde, Tchouaméni & Güler | 4 |
Tchouaméni, Ceballos & Güler | 3 |
Valverde, Tchouaméni & Bellingham | 2 |
Camavinga, Bellingham & Güler | 2 |
Valverde, Tchouaméni & Mastantuono | 1 |
Valverde, Ceballos & Güler | 1 |
Ceballos, Bellingham & Güler | 1 |
Tchouaméni, Camavinga & Güler | 1 |
Tchouaméni, Ceballos & Bellingham | 1 |
Ceballos, Güler & Mastantuono | 1 |
Valverde, Cestero & Güler | 1 |
Valverde, Camavinga & Bellingham | 1 |
As noted, 32 matches into this campaign across all competitions, Real Madrid have deployed 14 different midfield combinations. Aurélien Tchouaméni, Jude Bellingham and Arda Güler is the most-used trio, but have started just eight times together.
In contrast, the three that started the Supercopa de España Final defeat against Barcelona, namely Fede Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga and Bellingham, have not done so before or since all season. That right there has to go someway to explaining Alonso's Madrid downfall.
Of course, Los Merengues boast an outstanding array of midfielders, but they do not have a great midfield. That position, more than most, is about balance, chemistry and relationships, while Alonso and Arbeloa appear to be simply rolling the dice and hoping to unearth the right combination.
Had Zubimendi joined, he would have been a reliable, omnipresent figure at the best of midfield, keeping the ball moving while offering the centre-backs protection. This would also have allowed their many superstar attackers to flourish and, who knows, had Alonso been listened to, he may still be in situ.