Future on the line for Real Madrid stars at Club World Cup –

Real Madrid will go into the Club World Cup next week with two new signings to bolster their ranks ahead of the tournament, as they look to secure the first ever version of the tournament. It could well dictate their transfer business for the rest of the summer, but also lead Los Blancos to a conclusion on several of their current squad.

Two of the players that could see their future defined by the trip to the United States are left-backs Ferland Mendy and Fran Garcia, say Cadena SER. It now looks as if Benfica’s Alvaro Carreras will not be signed before the transfer deadline, and the two could be battling directly to be his back-up. Both have interest from the Premier League, but Garcia has also received enquiries from La Liga too.

Dani Ceballos place on the line

They go on to say that Dani Ceballos is also battling for his place in the squad. The 28-year-old has two years left on his deal, and must convince new manager Xabi Alonso of his ability in the USA. In particular, his defensive work-rate is under the microscope. The fact that Los Blancos could move for Franco Mastantuono and Nico Paz does not work in his favour either.

Real Madrid could bring Paz back for €8m this summer, but if he does not see sufficient game time on the horizon, he could be sold on again, something that Ceballos’ presence will impact upon. Curiously, they do mention a €40m price tag for Ceballos, which seems unlikely to yield a deal.

Will Real Madrid sign another midfielder?

There have been contradictory reports on a pursuit of Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, as is the case regarding their pursuit of another midfielder. In theory, Ceballos would play deeper than the likes of Paz or Mastantuono, who plays off the right, but were Zubimendi or the likes of Angelo Stiller to come in, that may well spell the end of the line for Ceballos at the Santiago Bernabeu.