Xabi Alonso ‘delighted’ with Real Madrid attacker’s quality; sees him as a key player | OneFootball

Selecting an XI of regular starters at a club like Real Madrid with an extensive talent pool is anything but easy. Xabi Alonso, ahead of his first game as the new manager, faced that very crisis.

The forward three, needless to say, required Alonso to calculate the combination that would provide the best of both worlds – attacking flair and hard work off the ball.

With Vinicius Jr. and Kylian Mbappe undroppable, the spotlight shone brightly on the third spot.

Eventually, Alonso opted for Rodrygo Goes who racked up an assist but was not particularly stunning. Brahim Diaz, who replaced him past the hour mark, however, left a lasting impression.

Growing into Alonso’s plans

As relayed by AS, Xabi Alonso is delighted with Brahim Diaz’s work rate, qualities and energy on the field and sees him as a player who perfectly fits into the project he has in mind.

He has all the ‘ingredients’ that the manager likes and Alonso thus considers Diaz to be a key part of his plans both in the short and the long term.

Xabi Alonso is an admirer of Brahim. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

It is no surprise that talks with the Moroccan international over a contract renewal have been moving faster than before after the managerial change, for Diaz now sees a real chance to break into the lineup as a regular starter.

In fact, all that remains to finalise his extension now is his signature.

Diaz has been a positive presence at the club for a long time now, ever since he returned from a successful loan stint at AC Milan.

Ancelotti, however, only saw him as a backup to Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo and did not consider him a regular starter.

With Alonso still figuring out his best XI, Diaz has taken a big step towards his dream by dropping an energetic cameo against Al-Hilal.

It is not completely ruled out that he even start against Pachuca later this week, especially with Kylian Mbappe still expected to miss the clash.