Real Madrid suffered a crushing defeat in the Club World Cup semifinals against Paris Saint-Germain. Xabi Alonso's side lost by a resounding 4-0, a score that could have been even higher. Florentino is clear that improvement is necessary and is preparing changes to the squad for the return next season. There has been a lot of speculation, although Josep Pedrerol has already confirmed what the next move will be.
Pedrerol makes it public on Real Madrid
Pedrerol spoke on the show "El Chiringuito" after the thrashing in the United States. The Catalan journalist, well connected with Florentino Pérez, released what the next move will be after returning to the capital of Spain:
"Álvaro Carreras is going to happen. He's going to sign for Real Madrid, he'll be the fourth signing of the season," Josep Pedrerol confirmed.
Negotiations with Benfica for Álvaro Carreras have advanced in recent days, and they're about to reach a final agreement. The youth player will return to Real Madrid for about 50 million euros paid in installments. This is the amount of his release clause, which the Portuguese side had always demanded, being the figure they referred to at all times.
The surprise is the inclusion of youth player Obrador in the negotiations. The Spaniard will head to Benfica for about 5 million euros, with Real Madrid keeping the option to bring him back.
Álvaro Carreras will compete with Fran García
Despite the good tournament Fran García had in the United States, the idea remains the same. A more defensive full-back is needed, and Carreras will arrive to take on the position. Both will fight for the starting spot, leaving Ferland Mendy completely out, as he is not in Xabi Alonso's plans.
There has been a lot of speculation about Fran García's future, but the idea is clear: he'll stay at Madrid. He'll do so to offer a profile that Xabi likes a lot for certain matchups. Initially, he'll have a more secondary role, although the idea is that no one will have a guaranteed starting spot by default.
News about Álvaro Carreras is expected soon, with Pedrerol having made it clear that his signing for Madrid "is going to happen".