A key tactical decision by new Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso is set to create a fierce and unprecedented battle for places in the team’s star-studded attack. According to reports from Spanish radio station Cadena SER, Alonso plans to primarily line up with just two attackers this season.
This creates a significant squad management problem for the club, which is currently overloaded with world-class attacking talent. With superstars like Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Jr. as the presumed starters in those two forward positions, it leaves a remarkable group of five other players competing for very limited backup roles.
The list of players now fighting for minutes includes Rodrygo, Brahim Díaz, Arda Güler, Endrick, and the newly promoted Gonzalo García.
The situation for Gonzalo García is particularly interesting. Following his heroic, top-scoring performances at the Club World Cup, the academy graduate has been officially promoted to the first team and has expressed his desire to wear the iconic No. 9 shirt. Fabrizio Romano has now confirmed the club is in talks to offer him a new, improved contract.
This attacking logjam also complicates the futures of the team’s brilliant Brazilian talents. Rodrygo, after a summer of intense transfer speculation, recently declared he wants to stay and fight for his place. Meanwhile, teenage sensation Endrick is also remaining with the squad after his planned loan move to Real Sociedad collapsed at the last minute.
This surplus of top-tier attackers is widely seen as unsustainable over a full season. It will be incredibly difficult for Alonso to keep all these high-profile players happy with limited playing time, which could lead to renewed transfer speculation in the January window if the situation does not improve.
While having an abundance of talent is a dream for most clubs, it has become a real management puzzle for Real Madrid and Xabi Alonso.