Bad news for Mbappé, Vinicius and Bellingham, Xabi Alonso will favor this player
With Real Madrid about to embark on a new cycle with the potential arrival of Xabi Alonso on the bench, the Spanish coach intends to impose his style quickly, even if it means shaking up the established hierarchy. Known for the tactical rigor he imposed at Bayer Leverkusen, the coach will expect guarantees from his stars, or he won't hesitate to start a particular player he likes.
That player is Arda Guler. The Turkish player, who was Xabi Alonso's target for signing at Bayer Leverkusen last winter, could have a significantly enhanced role under the Spanish coach. The 20-year-old is having a strong end to the season, with two goals and two assists in his last four matches. With his versatile, disciplined, and hard-working personality, Xabi Alonso would make him one of his favorites to shake up the hierarchy of stars in Madrid's attacking sector.
While he's currently at the center of the Real Madrid game plan this season, Kylian Mbappé could see his role diminished in favor of the team. Similar to what he did at Bayer Leverkusen, Xabi Alonso prefers to build his game collectively, with a lot of defensive work, rather than around a single man. The same goes for Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, who will have to constantly ensure defensive fallback if they want to establish themselves under Xabi Alonso. Like Arda Guler, the Spanish coach could also give more playing time to Endrick, Rodrygo, or Brahim Diaz in order to create greater competition.
L'Internaute
