Real Madrid’s Alexander-Arnold plan: when will club sign a right-back?

Real Madrid’s 3-3 draw at Rayo Vallecano once again threw Los Blancos’ right-back issues into sharp relief. With first-choice starter Dani Carvajal out for the season with a serious knee injury, his understudy, Lucas Vázquez, is showing the strain of having to play such a large number of games - a state of affairs exacerbated by the fact that the 33-year-old is a winger who only converted to defense at a late stage in his career. Meanwhile, when Madrid press midfielder Fede Valverde into service in the position, the team’s engine room loses a player whose ability to get up and down the pitch is crucial.

However, with two weeks to go until the January transfer window opens, Madrid chiefs remain adamant that they don’t want to dip into the market for a new right-back until the end of the season.

What are Real Madrid’s current right-back alternatives?

Although Madrid’s academy offers up some options, none appear to represent a major solution at this point. Head coach Carlo Ancelotti has called up two ‘B’ team players to matchday squads - 22-year-old Loren Aguado and 20-year-old David Jiménez - but neither has seen any action. Ancelotti has also opted against using Under-19s teenager Jesús Fortea, the most highly rated right-back in the club’s youth set-up. Center-back Raúl Asencio moved across to the right for a spell in Madrid’s Champions League win over Atalanta in midweek - and did a decent enough job of shackling winger Ademola Lookman - but the 21-year-old is chiefly needed in the middle.

Yet for better or for worse, it seems Madrid will continue to look in-house for now. Within the club, Vázquez is lauded for his leadership and commitment to the cause, but the fact remains that he is not enjoying his best season. Not helped by a groin injury sustained in November, his defensive stats are poorer than in any of the last three seasons - and, worst of all, he gave off an unmistakable impression of fragility in two major matches this campaign: October’s 4-0 defeat to Barcelona, in which Jude Bellingham was constantly forced to help him out against Raphinha, and November’s 3-1 loss to AC Milan, in which he was run ragged by Rafael Leão.

And at Vallecas at the weekend, Vázquez had a hand in two of the goals Madrid conceded against Rayo, albeit on the second he can hardly be blamed for failing to outjump Abdul Mumin, who is over six inches taller than him.

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Real Madrid set on TAA summer signing

While Ancelotti is not completely ruling out making a mid-season signing - “we’ll take stock of where we are after the Sevilla game [on December 22],” he has told reporters - club bosses have made no firm plans to bring in a right-back in January. As things stand, the Madrid hierarchy is determined to hold out for a summer move for Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is out of contract at the end of the campaign. In a similar vein, Madrid are also playing the waiting game in their pursuit of Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies, who is likewise a free agent in the summer. In both cases, Los Blancos are confident of snaring their man.

The only scenario in which Madrid chiefs could be persuaded to make a U-turn on their January transfer plan would be if a major injury in the club’s two remaining games in 2024 reduced Ancelotti’s right-back options yet further. Los Merengues close out the calendar year with the Intercontinental Cup final against Pachuca on December 18, before taking on Sevilla in LaLiga four days later.

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