Xabi Alonso kicks off his Real Madrid reign with major signings, bold contract decisions, and a leadership shift as Courtois emerges as captain.
Real Madrid is trying to assemble the best team possible for the upcoming campaign under new coach Xabi Alonso, which will involve both new player acquisitions and contract extensions with important players.
Dean Huijsen joined Los Blancos from Bournemouth for £50 million, while Trent Alexander-Arnold came on a free transfer from Liverpool.
Alonso wants to start his tenure at the Santiago Bernabéu well, and the team has also added Argentinean talent Franco Mastantuono and Alvaro Carreras.
Alonso made his Real Madrid debut earlier, but despite defeating Juventus and Borussia Dortmund, he lost to Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup semifinals.
Following a stellar career at Bayer Leverkusen, where he finished first and second in the Bundesliga, he moves to Madrid.
Regaining the La Liga title, which was lost to Barcelona the previous season, would be his first priority.
The team is prepared to make more changes in the transfer market to bolster the roster. Real Madrid is rumored to be considering significant contract renewals for several of their key players in addition to making new acquisitions.
Alonso will be attempting to replace Luka Modric’s leadership in the dressing room as well as his technical abilities now that his contract is up.
One of the top contenders for the position of captain is goalie Thibaut Courtois, who joined Real Madrid from Chelsea in 2018 and is starting his sixth season with the team.
The Spanish club’s board is allegedly eager to offer Courtois a long-term extension past his current contract, which expires in the summer of 2026.
According to Relevo (via football-españa), Real Madrid is willing to offer Courtois a new two-year contract that would keep him in Madrid until the summer of 2028, when he would be 36.
This would break the club’s tradition of not giving players over 30 more than one extra year, which they last did for Cristiano Ronaldo in 2016.
After playing more than 150 games for rivals Atletico Madrid, Courtois is getting close to making his 300th appearance for Real Madrid. He is one of the key contributors to Real Madrid’s success over the last ten years, having won 14 major titles with the team.
