Xabi Alonso’s dream Real Madrid XI for 2025-26: Huijsen first of four signings…
Xabi Alonso will soon take over at Real Madrid, after a very promising start to his managerial career, which saw him win the Bundesliga title with Bayer Leverkusen in 2023-24.
With some Real signings already believed to have been confirmed, Alonso will want to put his own spin on the side.
We have looked into 11 players who could make up his dream Madrid XI for the coming season.
GK: Thibaut Courtois
Belgian international Courtois has nearly 300 Real Madrid games and over 100 clean sheets to his name.
Alonso could not ask for a much better goalkeeper to have between the sticks, and at 33, Courtois should have a good few years left helping Madrid to success.
RWB: Trent Alexander-Arnold
Alonso prefers to use a 3-4-2-1 formation, and that’s very unlikely to change at Madrid.
The signing of Alexander-Arnold is already believed to have been made – the Liverpool man has confirmed he’s leaving – and he could be a perfect asset in the system.
Having played as a midfielder previously, Alexander-Arnold is familiar with finding himself up the pitch, and starting in a more advanced position could see a man who is already one of the world’s best providers have even more joy on the front foot.
The extra central defender behind him means there might not be as much scrutiny on his defensive skills, allowing the wide man to have a starring role for Madrid.
RCB: Eder Militao
Militao has been out since November with a cruciate ligament injury. But last season, the right-footed centre-back played 48 games in all competitions.
He was a crucial member of the LaLiga title-winning side, and once he’s back fit, that might well be the case again.
At 27, he should be entering his peak years, and he’s already shown himself to be a phenomenal defender in the past.
CB: Antonio Rudiger
One of the oldest members of the Madrid squad, Rudiger’s depth of experience could continue to be crucial under a new manager, especially with some young defenders potentially playing in the same backline.
As the central centre-back, Rudiger will be able to see the whole game, and ensure those around him make the right decisions to help the team.
He might well be one of the players Alonso leans on most as he looks to make an instant impact.
LCB: Dean Huijsen
Madrid’s first confirmed transfer of the summer, 20-year-old centre-back Huijsen will join from Bournemouth.
And Los Blancos wouldn’t have signed him for £50million if they didn’t want him to slot straight into the side.
As comfortable on his left foot as he is with his right, Huijsen is likely to be on the left side of the centre-back trio, and will have an experienced defender alongside him to help him out.
The promise Huijsen has shown in a short career so far will massively excite Madridistas, and his reading of the game and ability to transition defence into attack should make him a great addition to the side.
LWB: Alvaro Carreras
The left-back options at the Bernabeu have not been cutting it of late, and throwing them into a new system is seemingly not something Alonso wants to do.
Indeed, it’s suggested he wants a genuine wing-back on the left side, and reports state he wants Benfica’s Carreras – who has four goals and five assists this season – by the Club World Cup, in June.
The 22-year-old is said to be open to moving to the Spanish capital, so Alonso could quite easily get his man.
CM: Jude Bellingham
A signing worth at most £115million, and one of the very best players at Madrid, if not in the world, Bellingham should walk into Alonso’s side, as he would any side on the globe.
Bellingham has been directly involved in 28 goals this season from the midfield, and under a former elite midfielder in Alonso, he could learn a different side to his game, becoming an even more well-rounded player than he already is.
Bellingham could become a frankly scary talent if he heeds the advice of Alonso, and that should strike fear into whichever side he comes up against.
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CM: Federico Valverde
Valverde can play in several positions, but with one fewer midfield position available in Alonso’s system, and a big name perhaps being signed further forward, Valverde is likely to frequent the central midfield spot he’s played in most often in his career.
This season, of his nine goals and eight assists, 11 goal contributions have come from the midfield.
Wherever he plays, though, the likelihood is that Valverde will start, as he has in 54 out of 57 games this season, including every single Champions League game.
CAM: Florian Wirtz
One of Alonso’s very favourite players at Leverkusen, only four players have featured more often under him than Wirtz.
Only one player has scored more than his 38 goals, and nobody has assisted more than his 43, or even come very close to doing so.
As a result, as soon as it became clear Alonso would be joining Madrid, reports suggested Wirtz might well follow.
There are other big clubs such as Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Manchester City in the race for the attacking midfielder, but if Alonso can get him, it seems he’s going to try.
ST: Vinicius Junior
One of the most prodigiously talented players in the world, coming in second place in the last Ballon d’Or vote, one of the most important things for Alonso will be managing to fit Vinicius into his side.
Though his usual formation uses what are essentially two wide No.10s, Vinicius has not played in that position before, but has frequented the striker spot when not out on the wing.
As such, it seems likely that he could share the front line with fellow superstar Kylian Mbappe, with both players’ abilities to drift wide and drag defenders with them surely helping to create space for the other, and more options behind them.
ST: Kylian Mbappe
Perhaps the best player in the Madrid side when on form, Mbappe will play the vast majority of games, and his contributions will be an important factor in his side winning trophies.
In his first season in La Liga, Mbappe has passed 30 direct goal contributions, and now that he’s experienced the league for a year, he could build on that and be a crucial asset in Alonso’s side.