When Xabi Alonso arrived at Real Madrid last summer, he found the club granting him full authority to implement the philosophy that brought him success in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen in the 2023-24 season, following the departure of Carlo Ancelotti, the most decorated coach in the club's history.

The club management began strengthening the defense by signing Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Hansen, and Álvaro Carreras, in addition to the promising Franco Mastantono to reinforce the midfield and attack on the right flank.

According to the Spanish newspaper "AS," Xabi Alonso believes that the team lacks a central midfielder who can control the team's rhythm, similar to the role Toni Kroos played at Real Madrid and Granit Xhaka at Leverkusen.

The preferred choice for the Spanish coach was his compatriot Martín Zubimendi, who has the ability to pass the ball, break out of pressure, link defense and attack, and lead the attacks. With a price estimated between 60 and 70 million euros, Alonso considered it a suitable opportunity both athletically and financially.

However, the club delayed making a decision to sign Zubimendi, while Arsenal took the lead with an official move to acquire the player. His transfer to the English team was announced two weeks later, which disrupted Alonso's plans.

According to sources, the coach felt frustrated, as he had Tchouaméni, Camavinga, Valverde, and Bellingham in midfield, but he did not have a player to serve as the team's "anchor" in regaining possession and building attacks.

Alonso tried several tactics to compensate for the absence of this role, but they were unsuccessful, which affected the team's ability to apply high pressing and fully execute its plans, especially with players like Vinicius and Mbappé who did not fit well with the advanced pressing style, making the coach's main strategy limited from the start.