If Real Madrid wants to buy, they have to sell.

Real Madrid are in the final stages of rebuilding their squad for the summer of 2025.

Real Madrid's squad is not yet well-balanced.

With the arrival of Gonzalo Garcia and the imminent completion of Carreras's contract, the Bernabeu team will reach the maximum of 25 players allowed to register for La Liga. This number may seem simple, but it's a limit that Real Madrid's sporting department must consider very carefully. If they want to add more players – which is highly likely – then departures are inevitable.

The team is complete, but that doesn't mean it's perfect.

During their tour of the USA for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™, coach Xabi Alonso brought along 34 players, including 10 from the academy. The tournament allows teams to register up to 35 players, so Real Madrid faced no numerical restrictions. However, upon returning to La Liga – which only allows a maximum of 25 players on the registration list – things became much more crowded.

To date, Real Madrid has welcomed three new signings: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen, and Franco Mastantuono. Meanwhile, three veterans – Vallejo, Modric, and Lucas Vazquez – have departed. This means the squad remains largely unchanged in terms of numbers. Carreras will be the 23rd player, while Gonzalo and Asencio – two academy graduates rewarded with first-team contracts – will bring the total to 25. The squad is full, but it may not be enough.

Because the recent Club World Cup highlighted weaknesses that haven't been addressed. The midfield needs more support, while the defense – especially the center-back positions – still raises many questions. Although Xabi Alonso has five center-backs at his disposal, using a three-center-back formation, as experimented with in the US, would be far too thin for the entire season.

Rudiger had a forgettable Club World Cup campaign.

Among the central defenders, only Dean Huijsen – the Dutch newcomer – has made a positive impression. Conversely, Rüdiger and Asencio have been judged to have fallen short of expectations. David Alaba is still battling to regain his fitness after more than a year struggling with injuries. Militao has made a fairly good return, but his history of two serious injuries means the coaching staff should be wary.

Real Madrid are targeting Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool) as a potential addition to their squad. However, to make more signings, they must first offload some players. The exit door must be open if they want anyone to come in.

Last season, coach Carlo Ancelotti only had 22 first-team players – the fewest in a decade. At that time, Real Madrid were forced to promote Asencio from Castilla to the first team due to a defensive crisis caused by injuries. But he was still considered a "B player". This year, Asencio and Gonzalo have both been officially promoted, meaning the squad now has 25 players – no more, no less.

However, the issue isn't about quantity, but rather quality and tactical suitability. If Xabi Alonso wants to strengthen the squad for multi-competition ambitions, especially the Champions League, then they must consider necessary departures.

Champions League - a more complex personnel problem

Like La Liga, the Champions League also only allows 25 players to be registered. However, UEFA has stricter requirements: only 17 of these are allowed to have not undergone club or domestic training. This means that at least 8 of the remaining players must have come through the ranks in Spain, with at least 4 of them having been trained at Real Madrid (between the ages of 15 and 21 for a minimum of 3 years).

Before Real Madrid can buy new players, they must sell off some of their current squad.

Currently, Real Madrid has seven homegrown players: Dani Carvajal, Fran Garcia, Raul Asencio, Camavinga, Vinicius, Rodrygo, and Gonzalo. Carreras would be the eighth. In addition, there are Valverde and Ceballos – both considered domestically trained players by UEFA. If Arda Güler is relegated to the B list (for U21 players who have been with the club for two seasons), Real could even let the two leave without affecting the number of registered players.

This opens the door for further changes, if Real Madrid deems it necessary. However, they will still have to choose carefully: who stays, who goes, and who qualifies for the Champions League – it's no easy task.

In terms of numbers, Real Madrid could be considered to have completed their squad. But in reality, that's only "enough" according to the law, not "right" strategically. If Xabi Alonso wants the team to have enough depth and be competitive in all competitions, then personnel decisions will continue.

The current squad may be the framework for the future, but it's not the final face. And like every summer at the Bernabeu, every move can create a domino effect – where an unexpected departure could open the door for a new star to emerge. As long as Real Madrid remains ambitious, their transfer market is far from over.

Source: https://znews.vn/muon-mua-real-madrid-phai-ban-post1568035.html