Xabi Alonso wants TWO Liverpool stars as Real Madrid hold ‘internal debate’ over €60m Man Utd midfielder | OneFootball

Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso is refusing to give up on convincing his bosses to bring Liverpool duo Ibrahima Konate and Florian Wirtz to Estadio Bernabeu, as Los Blancos are torn over a potential deal for Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes.

As the January transfer window approaches, the Spanish media is drumming up rumours of Real Madrid raids on Liverpool and Manchester United.

Xabi Alonso, a former Liverpool midfielder, has earned something of a reprieve after winning his last three matches as Madrid manager and is now apparently trying to convince Los Blancos president Florentino Perez to bring in three players in 2026, including two from Anfield.

Xabi Alonso wants Liverpool duo Ibrahima Konate and Florian Wirtz

According to Defensa Central, Alonso wants Madrid to sign Ibrahima Konate and Florian Wirtz from Liverpool and Angelo Stiller from VfB Stuttgart in the January transfer window.

While the former Madrid midfielder knows that the three deals will be ‘impossible’ and is aware that ‘no one is coming’, Alonso has Konate, Wirtz and Stiller on his ‘shopping list’, according to the Real Madrid-centric news outlet, which is often speculative.

Madrid have already decided not to pursue a deal for Konate, who is out of contract at Liverpool at the end of the season.

However, sources have told TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent, Dean Jones, that Liverpool believe that intermediaries are working to convince Madrid to make a U-turn over Konate.

Alonso worked with Wirtz at Bayer Leverkusen and wanted to sign him for Madrid when he was appointed the manager at the end of last season, but it was Liverpool who paid the £116million (€133m, $157m) needed to convince the Bundesliga club to sell the Germany international attacking midfielder.

Real Madrid debating Bruno Fernandes deal

Alonso wants a new midfielder, and, according to Fichajes, Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United is one that Madrid find very appealing.

Madrid were linked with a move for Fernandes in the summer of 2025 by the English press, and now the Spanish media is claiming Los Blancos’ interest in the Portuguese star.

One should note, though, that Fichajes is not one of the most reliable sources, so any report from the Spanish media outlet has to be taken with a big pinch of salt.

According to the report, Madrid have the financial capacity to meet Fernandes’ release clause of €60million (£52.3m, $70.7m) in his contract at Man Utd.

However, ‘the big debate in Valdebebas’ is about Fernandes’ age.

The Portugal international is 31 now, and Madrid do not tend to spend big on players of that age.

‘The internal debate revolves around immediate performance versus the long-term perspective’, notes the report.

‘Bruno Fernandes offers guarantees from day one, but he doesn’t quite fit the usual transfer policy.’

Sources have told TEAMtalk’s transfer insider, Graeme Bailey, that Man Utd have no plans to sell Fernandes in the January transfer window.

Fernandes, who is injured at the moment, gave an explosive interview in November, which was only released earlier this month, in which he criticised the Man Utd ‘directors’ for being willing to sell him in the summer of 2025.

Nico Paz transfer hailed as ‘deal of the century’

Madrid already have a plan in place to bring Nico Paz back to Estadio Bernabeu next summer.

Paz is flourishing at Como at the moment, having joined the Italian club from Madrid in the summer of 2024.

We understand that Madrid plan to trigger the €9million (£8m, $10.6m) buy-back clause in Paz’s contract at Como next summer.

Our transfer correspondent, Graeme Bailey, has reported that Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City have tried to convince Paz to change his mind, but the Argentina international attacking midfielder is determined to return to Madrid at the end of the season.

Defensa Central has hailed Madrid’s decision on Paz and has described it as ‘the deal of the century’.

With Transfermarkt now valuing Paz at €65m (£57m, $76.7m), the report has noted that he will be ‘a real bargain’ for Xabi Alonso’s side.

Lyon warned about Endrick

Sidney Govou has given his verdict on Lyon’s decision to sign Endrick on loan from Madrid in the January transfer window.

The Brazil international striker will join Ligue 1 outfit Lyon next month when the window opens, after finding it hard to play regularly under Madrid manager Alonso this season.

Former Lyon star Govou has urged the French club not to get overly excited about Endrick.

Govou told French publication Le Progres: “Nobody knows enough about Endrick to know what he’s capable of, even if he’s undoubtedly a good player.

“However, be careful, a substitute who never plays often indicates a problem.

“Endrick will have individual goals that might not align with the team’s collective objectives, and that’s what bothers me.”