Chelsea make £21 million bid to sign Xabi Alonso’s former player from Real Madrid: Reports

Chelsea have reportedly launched a bid of £21 million for Real Madrid defender Alvaro Carreras, who played under current Blues boss Xabi Alonso at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Carreras, 23, is coming off a fine 2025-26 season, scoring twice and assisting thrice in 40 games across competitions. All five goal contributions came in La Liga, where Los Blancos finished second, behind arch-rivals Barcleona, to miss out on major silverware for the second straight campaign.

Alonso was at the Bernabeu dugout for the first half of last season before parting ways at the start of the year. He has since joined Chelsea as their new boss. With Los Blancos snapping up Marc Cucurealla from the Premier League side, Spanish outlet Sport (via Tribal Football) has reported the Blues making a bid for Carreras.

However, the La Liga giants are said to have turned down the offer, with the player appearing eager to stay at the club and fight for his place amdi the arrival of Spain’s 2026 FIFA World Cup star Cucurella.

Carreras was one of the key Real Madrid starters under Alonso during the first half of the 2025-26 season and is said to have been given a chance by new Madrid boss Jose Mourinho to prove his worth despite reportedly being on a transfer list.

New Real Madrid defender Marc Cucurella set to face off against Chelsea’s Malo Gusto at 2026 FIFA World Cup

The 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-finals this week will see Spain take on France in a blockbuster clash at Dallas Stadium, Arlington, on Tuesday (July 14) for a place in the title match.

Newly signed Real Madrid full-back Marc Cucurella is set to feature in the match, where he could come up against his former Chelsea mate Malo Gusto, who has made four appearances off the bench so far. Most recently, he came on for the final four minutes in the 2-0 quarter-final win over reigning African champions Morocco.

Meanwhile, Cucurella has played a more prominent role in La Roja’s FIFA World Cup campaign, playing all six games, providing two assists, and helping keep five straight clean sheets.