Real Madrid Makes New Signing While At Club World Cup

Real Madrid has made a new signing according to Spanish newspaper MARCA, which cited anonymous sources.

Reacting to a season that ended without major silverware, while bitter rival FC Barcelona scooped all three trophies on offer in Spain and beat his team four times in the league and a pair of cup finals, Real Madrid Florentino Perez got his chequebook out before 2024/2025 had even been wrapped up.

Amid replacing now Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti with Xabi Alonso in the dugout, Perez’s first port of call was triggering Dean Huijsen’s $68 million (£50 million) release clause at Premier League club Bournemouth.

Already in just a few appearances at the Club World Cup, the Amsterdam-born Spain international has impressed the Los Blancos faithful while proving key in a run to the quarterfinals at the FIFA tournament where it meets its 2023/2024 Champions League opponent Borussia Dortmund.

Perez reportedly refused to listen to Ancelotti’s requests to improve the defense, but these have now been heeded with Madrid also signing right back Trent-Alexander Arnold from Liverpool and expressing interest in left back Alvaro Carreras from Benfica.

In the meantime, however, Madrid is also attempting to strengthen its Castilla reserve outfit which was recently managed by club legend Raul Gonzalez until he left his post to be replaced by Alvaro Arbeloa.

This had led to signing Rachad Fettal, a striker that has joined the 15-time Champions League winners’ B team on a three-year contract from Almeria.

Last season, the center forward featured in 19 matches for the team relegated from La Liga in 2023/2024, scoring just one goal in the process.

It must be noted, however, that the forward’s progress was halted by a knee injury in Janaury which he has since recovered from.

The 25-year-old with Moroccan roots represents the North African country at international level, and has scored two in seven caps for its U-20 team after previously flirting with Spain and La Roja’s U-17 outfit.

In a way, Fettal has probably been brought in to compensate for the loss of Gonzalo Garcia. La Fabrica’s latest high profile academy graduate racked up 10 senior appearances during Ancelotti’s reign, but it is on the cusp of a new season that he has made his mark under Alonso.

Scoring against Al-Hilal in the Club World Cup, he also netted the winner against Juventus which has set up the mentioned last eight meeting with Dortmund.

Fettal will hope to follow Garcia’s footsteps at Real Madrid

If he can kick on in the Spanish capital, Fettal will try and replicate the successful journey made by Raul Asencio and Garcia to the Real Madrid first team. In an unexpected turn of events, Garcia’s rise could invertedly result in Rodrygo being moved on.