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Real Madrid Explore Alternative Left-Back Option With Álvaro Carreras Deal Stalling

Originally posted on Real Madrid CF on SI | By Euan Burns | Last updated Jun 20, 2025 10:24 AM ET

Real Madrid had expected to have a new left-back through the door when the FIFA Club World Cup began, but a deal for Benfica's Alvaro Carreras has proved tough to execute.

The 22-year-old has been keen to make his Real Madrid return this summer, but haggling over how the €50m ($57.5m) release clause will be paid has seemingly put the brakes on the deal. Real Madrid has agreed to pay it in full, but only in instalments, whilst Benfica wants the full figure at once given that a percentage of it is going to be owed to Manchester United.

It has now been reported by Cadena SER that Real Madrid is starting to look elsewhere, and the search is taking them back to Bayer Leverkusen.

The 29-year-old Alejandro Grimaldo is of genuine interest if a deal for Carreras is completely dead, and the Spaniard is said to be very keen on returning to Spain.

Grimaldo would have the opportunity to reunite with Xabi Alonso, and he would also be much cheaper for Los Blancos. It is reported that he has a release clause in his contract of somewhere between €15-20m, so the deal would be much quicker to wrap up.

Barcelona has been linked with bringing Grimaldo back to the club where he was an academy player, but they are less focused on signing a left-back than Real Madrid currently is.

This article first appeared on Real Madrid CF on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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