The absolutely obscene Real Madrid XI that Xabi Alonso could inherit in 2025
Real Madrid have quietly been gathering the infinity stones and are suddenly on the cusp of another Galactico era that could define a generation.
While never being afraid to spend money, Los Blancos have been somewhat more frugal than usual in the last few years, allowing young talent they’d invested in years prior to flourish and take the reigns with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and others all being phased out.
Suddenly, though, they look reborn, with Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo unlocking world-class levels, Jude Bellingham signing for a mammoth fee and the likes of Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde and others all stepping up too.
Being frugal for a few years around one or two big signings has paid dividends and it means that Xabi Alonso could be walking into an absolute superteam should he replace Carlo Ancelotti in 2025 like many believe he will, after agreeing to one more season with Bayer Leverkusen.
With that in mind, we’ve put together a realistic Real XI that we might expect to see under Alonso in a year’s time, and it’s frightening.
GK: Thibaut Courtois
Real will probably pick up a young goalkeeper from somewhere in the next year or so, but the likelihood is that Courtois will resume as number one once he has recovered from his current injury and we see no reason why he won’t continue to operate at his world-class best.
Still only 31, the Belgian is in his peak years and has proven time and time again that he’s capable of dragging the club to silverware when it matters. If all goes to plan, he’ll be at the club for years to come.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold
Stick with us for a minute, here.
Jurgen Klopp’s time at Liverpool is up, Alexander-Arnold is undoubtedly one of the best in the world in his position, is 25 and out of contract in the summer of 2025.
A club like Real wouldn’t be silly enough to ignore all those signs. It might sound ludicrous, but a deal probably isn’t as complicated as it might sound – especially with Real already having success with England internationals in the form of Bellingham.
CB: Antonio Rudiger
Is he the best central defender in the world right now? Quite possibly. Is he also an absolute nutter? Undoubtedly. The latter actually helps out the former in this instance.
READ: Antonio Rudiger has unlocked new levels of psycho with his X-rated absurdity
CB: Eder Militao
It took him a few years to adjust to the size of the club, but Militao has suddenly blossomed and become one of the best in class – he’s exactly the type of young signing we were talking about above that has now stepped up.
The Brazilian is only 26 and has finally shaken off a lengthy injury layoff. Without anybody really noticing, Militao has seamlessly become one of the most dominant box defenders in world football and has learned from the very best around him.
By the time Alonso (potentially) takes over, his experience will be key.
LB: Alphonso Davies
The rumour mill is milling, and it suggests that Davies has rejected fresh terms at Bayern Munich with Real Madrid ready to swoop in and snap him up, either this summer for a fee or next summer for nothing.
If it’s a deal that gets over the line and Davies doesn’t perform a U-turn, then it might just prove incredible business. Ferland Mendy hasn’t exactly set the world on fire since signing 2019 and feels more suited to a rotation role with the Roadrunner, who is an absolute freak of nature from left-back.
When you consider what Alonso has achieved with Alex Grimaldo and Jeremie Frimpong as his full-backs in the Bundesliga, it’s.a scary thought. Real might sweep up for years to come.
CM: Jude Bellingham
After a remarkable debut season at the most historic club in the world, it’s genuinely unfathomable to try and comprehend exactly where Bellingham’s ceiling lies.
The Englishman has needed no time to adapt to his surroundings and has become a fan favourite among one of the most demanding crowds in the game, virtually instantly.
20-year-old Bellingham already has the world at his feet and if he’s to go from playing under Ancelotti to Alonso, we really don’t envy his opponents.
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CM: Federico Valverde
Being promoted to the first team from the Castilla team in 2017, it’s taken Valverde a while, but he’s now become one of the club’s most dependable players in terms of both work rate and elite quality.
While his commitment has never been questioned, there were technical elements to his game that lacked, but not anymore. At 25, Valverde has already racked up close to 250 appearances for the club and has stepped up massively with Modric and Kroos’ powers slowly waning.
AM: Florian Wirtz
It wouldn’t be right if Florentino Perez recruited Alonso and didn’t bring the crown jewel from his team with him. We’re playing fantasy here, but Wirtz to Real doesn’t seem too unrealistic given the German’s lofty trajectory.
At just 20 years old, Wirtz has seen it all, from teenage wonderkid, to ACL victim and now his most recent redemption arc.
RW: Endrick
We’ve been high on Endrick’s enviable talent and promise for a while now, but the secret has come out to the wider world in the last few months with him making his senior Brazil debut and bagging at the same time.
It will take the teenager some time to acclimate in Madrid and get used to the incredibly high expectations, but we’re expecting fireworks over time. And you should be too. 
READ: 9 players you won’t believe Endrick has already won more trophies than
ST: Kylian Mbappe
Oh boy. After years of teasing to the point of boredom, it appears that Mbappe will finally make his move this summer and don the iconic white of Madrid next season.
And it’s about time, too. We’re not sure exactly how much more El Chiringuito could take.
A World Cup winner and Paris Saint-Germain’s all-time scorer at just 25, Mbappe still has the world at his feet and it’s frankly disgusting to think about what he’s likely to achieve with Real over the next few years, from Ballons d’Or, to Champions Leagues and the countless individual accolades. Generational.
LW: Vinicius Junior
Endrick can learn a lot from Vinicius Junior, who joined Real himself at just 16 with all eyes on him and struggled immensely in his first few years at the club, but is now undoubtedly one of the best in the world and one of the club’s most adored and responsible stars.
It took him a few years to click, but there’s no stopping the 23-year-old now. Vinicius is scintillating at his best and showed his game-winning abilities to the world when he sunk Liverpool in the 2022 Champions League final.
Add his inspiring work as an activist and campaigner to all that and it’s pretty safe to assume that Alonso would be inheriting a rather incredible human being.