Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is reportedly prepared to rival close friend Xabi Alonso as the Gunners eyes a move for Real Madrid target Rodrigo Mendoza. The Elche wonderkid, who has a €20 million release clause, has attracted widespread interest from across Europe following his eye-catching performances in La Liga. Premier League giants Manchester City are also keen on signing the youngster.

Xabi Alonso has insisted that he's unfazed by reports of friction between him and Vinicius Junior as pressure ramps up on the Real Madrid manager amid the team's three-match winless run. The streak started with a loss at Liverpool in the Champions League, followed by back-to-back draws in La Liga against Rayo Vallecano and Elche, which allowed Barcelona to cut the gap at the top of La Liga to just one point.

The signs that Vinicius Jr's relationship with Xabi Alonso's wasn't going to run smoothly were there almost immediately. Had Trent Alexander-Arnold not suffered an injury the day before Real Madrid's Club World Cup semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain, the new Blancos boss was planning to bench his Brazilian winger, preferring instead to hand homegrown forward Gonzalo Garcia a start up front alongside Kylian Mbappe.

Real Madrid’s turbulent dressing-room divide has been laid bare as reports in Spain reveal which players have aligned themselves with Vinicius Jr amid his escalating conflict with manager Xabi Alonso — and which stars, including Kylian Mbappe, have publicly and privately backed the under-pressure coach. With results slipping and tensions rising, Los Blancos now find themselves battling a crisis.

Retired tennis great and Real Madrid supporter Rafael Nadal has advised Vinicius Junior to "respect the authority" of Xabi Alonso amid speculation that the Brazilian's relationship with the head coach has reached a breaking point. Nadal emphasised on the need to hold conversations in order to preserve both the image of the club and the unity within the Real Madrid dressing room.