Xabi Alonso 'pleasantly surprised' by 'very complete' Alvaro Carreras' bright start following €50m transfer from Benfica

Carreras has been a breath of fresh air in Madrid's new-look backline. Signed from Benfica for a fee of €50 million (£43m/$58m), the former Madrid academy star has started in all six games this season without being substituted. The 22-year-old has been solid defensively while offering numerical superiority in attack with his overlapping runs.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Alonso said: "I was optimistic [about his signing]. His personality and competitive nature have pleasantly surprised me. He makes very few mistakes, he is very focused, he has great mental quality, great tactical and technical quality too, he is very complete. The instant impact he has had is surprising, it is fantastic news. We also have Fran [Garcia] and Ferland [Mendy] for that position, but his performance is excellent."

Carreras' displays at the start of the season make him undroppable from the starting lineup, despite the improvement Fran Garcia showed as the starting left-back at the Club World Cup. And then there's Mendy, who spent the majority of the 2024-25 on the sidelines due to injury problems. The French defender seems to have fallen down the pecking order and was linked with a departure over the summer.

Madrid will travel away to Levante on Tuesday, aiming to make it six wins out of six to begin their domestic campaign. Carreras will be expected to retain his place in the starting XI, despite Alonso's tendency to keep rotating his players every week.