What Must Real Madrid Do This Summer to Return to Dominance?
After winning the double in 2024, Real Madrid had a season to forget in 2025 as they got bounced in the Quarterfinals of the Champions League. They will likely finish in second in La Liga, will part ways with their manager, and will lose to their biggest rival four times. Change is coming quickly, as it was announced on Monday, by Fabrizio Romano that Xabi Alonso would become the new manager. Romano also announced Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold will join Real Madrid on a free transfer. Real Madrid should not stop there, as here is what Los Blancos need to do this summer to return to dominance.
Sign a new center back
Real Madrid needs to improve their depth at the backline. Last summer, Real Madrid lost Nacho to the Saudi Pro League and missed out on the Leny Yoro sweepstakes as the young Frenchman went to Manchester United. Their defense was injured badly this season, which forced Raul Asencio to make 16 La Liga starts and Aurélien Tchouaméni to play at center back several times, including twice against FC Barcelona. Neither of these should be happening at a club of Real Madrid’s caliber, as Asencio is only 22 years old and not yet at a high-quality starter level for a dominant European side, while Tchouaméni is a midfielder. With Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba being 32 years old as well as Éder Militão, coming off another long-term injury, Los Blancos are in desperate need of another, preferably younger, center back.
A potential option could be 20-year-old Dean Huijsen, who is Spanish, a nationality Real Madrid notably lacks, and plays for Bournemouth. According to FBref.com, among center backs, Huijsen ranks in the 96th percentile in both interceptions and clearances per 90 minutes. Huijsen is also a great passer as he is in the 94th percentile for key passes per 90 minutes and in the 93rd percentile for passes into the final third per 90 minutes. This is key as Real Madrid have struggled with ball progression via the pass this season after Toni Kroos retired in July. Huijsen has a release clause of about 59.5 million euros, and Real Madrid will likely have to compete with some of the big English clubs.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Real Madrid are also targeting Arsenal’s William Saliba and Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konaté, along with Huijsen. Acquiring either Saliba or Konaté would be difficult, as both players would cost more than Huijsen, and both are already at big clubs. A cheaper option could be Bayer Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapié, who is 23 years old and is valued at 50 million euros according to transfermarkt.us. Statistically, Hincapié is a lesser passer than Huijsen, but is still good. Hincapié is left-footed, can play both center back and left back, adding depth to positions that are currently both shaky in Madrid. Hincapié is also familiar with Alonso’s 3-4-3 formation, as continuing to play for Alonso could be enticing for the Ecuadorian defender.
Alonso has to establish a system
One of the hallmarks of Carlo Ancelotti is the freedom his teams played with and how the lack of a rigid identity helped the talent of his players shine through. However, this freedom has often been shown as a weakness this year. If you look at some of the goals Real Madrid have squandered in big games this year, their backline is often not on the same page. In the goal Bukayo Saka scored at the Bernabéu to effectively end Madrid’s UCL hopes, right back Federico Valverde was well beyond the three other defenders, allowing Saka plenty of space. In the fourth goal Barcelona scored against Real Madrid in October, again, the right back is way beyond the center backs, who weren’t even beyond the halfway line while the ball was played. Contrast this to Barcelona’s well-organized defensive line in a year where the La Liga title is likely headed to Catalonia, and you can see why Alonso needs to implement structure to a backline that often looked erratic in big moments.
Whether Alonso plays the same 3-4-3 formation he played at Leverkusen or something different, he’ll need to drill a consistent system into his new Real Madrid side. The good news for the new manager is he’ll get to Madrid before the Club World Cup, allowing him extra time to develop his tactics against lesser opponents. Madrid is scheduled to face Al-Hilal, Pachuca & RB Salzburg. Regardless of whether or not he deploys his best 11 for these matches, his structure should be clear and implemented throughout the club from the starters to the reserves.
Figure out what to do with Rodrygo quickly
After Kylian Mbappe’s arrival in July, Rodrygo was quickly thought to be the odd man out between him, Mbappe, and Vinicius Júnior. Rodrygo was left on the bench in Sunday's match, and Ancelotti said he had discomfort in the leg. Since the beginning of last summer, questions surrounded the team about whether Mbappe, Vini Jr., and Rodrygo could play together simultaneously, considering all three are right-footed and prefer the left side of the pitch. This season, Rodrygo’s production has dipped, scoring only six times in La Liga as his time in Madrid seems to be waning. In the formation Alonso used at Leverkusen, Rodrygo doesn’t have a home. He’s too good an attacker to play right midfield, he’s not a natural striker, the left inside attacking role will be taken by Vini Jr, and the right inside attacking role is better suited for Jude Bellingham in my opinion. Even if Alonso doesn’t use the 3-4-3 and opts for a 4-3-3, he’d probably prefer a left-footed player who can do more without the ball.
If Real Madrid decides to move on from Rodrygo, there will be plenty of interest from teams like Arsenal or Bayern Munich, who could offer him a spot on his preferred left wing. At 23 years old, Los Blancos could easily earn over 100 million euros by selling the Brazilian, funds that could be used to reinforce positions like center back or go to buying an elite left back. That said, Real Madrid could very well keep him as he is still an elite player who has room to grow in his career. Rodrygo is still a good right winger, even if he prefers the left. Whatever decision Alonso and his staff come to, it must be done quickly to ensure that if Rodrygo stays, he and the club have a clear vision of his role for Los Blancos, or if he leaves Madrid, can use the funds from his sale before the summer transfer deadline. Rodrygo has been left in a tough position. Out of the three stars in the attack, Rodrygo has been the most willing to defend and press, but he’s slightly less talented than Vini Jr and Mbappe. He won’t start consistently over any of them, but he’s too good to come off the bench. He’s had to sacrifice his prominent role last season for a less desirable spot on the right flank. For Real Madrid, Rodrygo’s reduced role and his potential frustration have come at the cost of adding Mbappe, so it's not a total loss. Whether or not Rodrygo stays or leaves, Real Madrid have to act quickly this summer if they want to return to dominance.
