Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso 'tells' Los Blancos 'to sell' 22-year-old after Club World Cup struggles

Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso has reportedly urged senior figures at the club to sell Spanish defender Raul Asencio before the end of the summer transfer window.

The 22-year-old proved to be an important player for Los Blancos during the 2024-25 campaign, making 46 appearances in all competitions, as he benefitted from the club's injury problems at the back.

However, Asencio has struggled during the Club World Cup, and he found it incredibly difficult against Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals on Wednesday, being substituted in the 64th minute of what was a 4-0 defeat for Real Madrid.

There have been suggestions that Asencio has agreed a new contract at Bernabeu, but as it stands, his deal is due to expire next summer, and according to Fichajes, Alonso has urged Los Blancos to sell the Spaniard.

The report claims that Alonso wants another centre-back to arrive despite Dean Huijsen moving to Bernabeu this summer, and Asencio is expected to be the player in that area of the field to move on.

Asencio's future at Real Madrid 'in serious doubt'

Real Madrid's Club World Cup campaign ended in spectacular fashion on Wednesday, as they were well-beaten by a PSG team that will take on Chelsea in the final of the tournament this weekend.

“It was a tricky situation after the first ten minutes. PSG is a project created over time and we're just starting out. It's not only because you want to be braver that you're better. There were two harsh blows and we weren't on the pitch. We needed to relax a bit and it was a shame to concede the third before half-time," Alonso told reporters after the match.

"Today, we have suffered against a team that's at a good level and we're just starting this new stage. There is a lot of margin. Today it hurts and our level wasn't good enough. This match will show us things for the future to compete at a better level than today. This is as far as we've come. We fell at the penultimate hurdle and it hurts.

“Going 2-0 down early on is a conditioning factor. We wanted to play an intense game and after that you face it in a different way. More than the distance between the two teams is the margin we have to improve.

"It's the end of this season and not the start of the next. We’ll take the positives from this Club World Cup period.  We're leaving as a better team. It's a starting point for a better start next season. I'm talking about the team and not the players.

"Today, we had some shortcomings and sometimes it's good to see the mistakes so that they can be useful for the future. If we repeat the same mistake over and over again, we won't be intelligent.”

When will Real Madrid begin their 2025-26 campaign?

Real Madrid are due to begin their 2025-26 La Liga campaign against Osasuna on August 19.

Los Blancos had made a request to La Liga to postpone the match, believing that they will not have had sufficient time to prepare for the new season due to their involvement in the Club World Cup.

However, as it stands, the fixture will go ahead as planned, and head coach Alonso will be under pressure to deliver a positive result in his first La Liga game in charge of the capital giants.

Written by
Matt Law