Despite the presence of Ferland Mendy and Fran Garcia in the squad already, Real Madrid opted to spend heavily on a new left-back this summer, roping in Alvaro C arreras.
The Merengues signed their former academy product back from SL Benfica for a significant fee of €50 million. While new manager Xabi Alonso had wanted the Spaniard signed in time for the Club World Cup, it was not to be, and he only arrived later in the summer.
During that time, Garcia made a solid impression in the tournament in the USA, staking a strong claim for the starting berth once the new season kicked off.
However, two games into the season, C arreras has managed to settle the debate for good as far as Real Madrid’s starting left-back is concerned. Indeed, the summer signing has firmly secured the left-back role under Xabi Alonso, reports MARCA.
C arreras has seized his chances early in the season and is, alongside Thibaut Courtois, Dean Huijsen, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Fede Valverde, one of only five players to have played every minute so far – 180 minutes across the matches vs Osasuna and Oviedo.
Alongside Huijsen, C arreras carries much of the responsibility for initiating play for Real Madrid. After the Spanish centre-back, he is the player with the most passes (154), with close to 90 per cent accuracy.
The left-back also stands out in passes into the final third, ranking second in the squad with 24.
More importantly, his ability to link up with the winger on his flank (Vinicius Jr. vs Osasuna, Rodrygo vs Oviedo), his willingness to push forward, and his composure under pressure, as seen in two key passes delivered in Asturias, have shone through brightly.
As such, at present, the outlook is positive for C arreras. Regarding Mendy, nobody at the club dares to set a timetable for his return from injury. As for Garcia, he will get minutes, considering how Alonso rotated his troops last game.
Even so, there is no doubt that, fitness permitting, C arreras will be the first choice.