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Nieuws
- 1 hour ago
Five players who could join Real Madrid in January
Suraj Radia
- 9 Dec 2025 10:00 CST
- 5 min read
Analysis
Real Madrid could be heading for a turbulent period ahead of the January transfer window, with reports that manager Xabi Alonso is on the verge of being sacked.
A poor run of form, combined with a number of star players losing faith in the Spanish coach, could see Alonso leave less than six months after his appointment.
Despite fears that their title ambitions could slip away, Los Blancos have historically been reluctant to make signings in the winter unless the right deal and player comes their way.
However, with tensions at a breaking point, FootballTransfers takes a look at five players who could be targeted to save Real Madrid’s season.
Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace)
Real Madrid are certain to sign at least one centre-back in 2026, with the likes of David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger set to leave in the summer when their contracts expire.
While Real have identified a host of targets available on a free transfer such as Dayot Upamecano or Ibrahima Konate, they may pursue a bargain deal for a target in January after seeing a number of defenders suffer injuries in recent weeks.
Marc Guehi could perhaps be the most feasible target for Madrid, particularly with virtually all of Europe’s top clubs looking to sign him on a free next summer when his Crystal Palace contract expires.
Palace may be tempted to sanction a cut-price sale for Guehi to a club outside England and giving Real an immediate international calibre centre-back while also beating rivals to the punch.
Christos Mouzakitis (Olympiacos)
Another policy of Real’s has always been to sign the brightest talent in the world and wonderkids perhaps don’t come more hyped than Christos Mouzakitis of Olympiacos.
The 18-year-old has already been capped extensively by Greece and teams such as Arsenal and Manchester United are said to be willing to meet his asking price of €50 million.
Mouzakitis is also rumoured to prefer a move to Real over any other side, giving the La Liga giants the edge in any race and paving the way for a January transfer to ensure they end up with yet another future superstar.
Nathaniel Brown
Real need a left-sided defender as much as a right-sided one and the breakout form of Nathaniel Brown at Eintracht Frankfurt has seen the German international linked with a big money switch to Madrid.
Current ETV
Nathaniel Brown
D, M (L)
E. Frankfurt
Nathaniel Brown
D, M (L)
E. Frankfurt
ETV Range
€32.1M - €39.2M
Brown has confirmed he is likely to leave for a bigger club in 2026, causing Man Utd among others to declare their interest in the 22-year-old and his ability at left-back could prove season-defining for Real given their struggles in that area.
Frankfurt reportedly value Brown at around €60m but that fee could rise if he has a successful World Cup for Germany, meaning Real could benefit from signing him before his profile is raised at a tournament he is expected to play a big part in.
Nico Paz (Como)
The real question over Nico Paz’s future is when, not if, he moves to Real Madrid, having established himself as one of the standout young stars in Europe while playing for Como.
Having come through Real’s academy, Paz joined Como for €6m in 2024 – a low fee offset by Los Blancos’ insertion of a buy-back clause of around €12m, which they are expected to activate imminently.
Considering Paz could fetch potential ten times that amount on the open market, his return to Madrid is considered a done deal and, while the deal is expected to be finalised next summer, a January transfer can’t be ruled out either if Real push for the move.
Ayyoub Bouaddi (Lille)
Although you could be forgiven for considering Ayyoub Bouaddi another wonderkid for the future, having only just turned 18, the Lille star has proven his ability to compete at the highest level despite his tender age.
Bouaddi has already made more than 70 appearances for Lille and the midfielder is an integral part of the French side’s team, hence their price tag of more than €100m for the French wonderkid.
While Real are unlikely to pay that much for him, particularly mid-season, the Spanish side are desperate to sign a midfielder of his profile and could be willing to act quickly to beat the likes of Man Utd and Arsenal to his signature.
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