Florentino Pérez has a master plan on the table to fulfill Xabi Alonso's first major desire as Real Madrid's manager. The Donostian coach has requested a superstar signing to strengthen the midfield.
The president has already activated an operation that would include up to three players in a single exchange move. A 3-for-1 deal with which he seeks to convince his club of origin and avoid paying the full transfer fee.
The only signing Xabi Alonso has requested
The top priority is Florian Wirtz, one of the biggest stars in European soccer and a key piece at Bayer Leverkusen this season. Xabi Alonso knows him perfectly well. He believes he would fit perfectly into Madrid's new system, providing creativity, dribbling, and goals from the second line.
But signing Wirtz won't be cheap. His price is around €120 million, and Florentino doesn't want to repeat such costly deals as Bellingham's without seeking creative solutions. The Madrid proposal would include three players as bargaining chips, with names like Dani Ceballos, Fran García, and Brahim Díaz on the table.
All of them are footballers who have lost prominence or might not have a place in the new project, and who are of interest to several European teams. In fact, both Bayer and other German clubs have inquired about some of them in recent months. Now they could be part of one of the most ambitious deals of the summer.
The gap left by Kroos and Modric must be filled with quality
People close to Xabi Alonso have made it clear that the midfield will be key in his new Real Madrid. The gap left by Kroos, Modric's departure, and the wear and tear on Camavinga and Valverde require refreshing the area with talent and youth. Wirtz, at just 22 years old and with a brilliant present, is the chosen one.
Madrid has already given the green light to start talks, and contacts are expected to intensify in the coming weeks.
The operation is complex, but if anyone can make it happen, it's Florentino. He's done it before. He'll do it again.