Real Madrid Transfer News Roundup: Los Blancos eyeing former player, Liverpool want Rodrygo, and more - January 22, 2025
Real Madrid host RB Salzburg at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, January 22, in the Champions League. Carlo Ancelotti's men are 22nd in the European league table after six games and need a win against the Austrian club to retain hopes of progressing to the knockouts.
Meanwhile, Los Blancos are eyeing a move for a former academy player. Elsewhere, Liverpool are interested in Rodrygo Goes.
On that note, let's look at the major Real Madrid transfer stories from January 22, 2025.
Real Madrid eyeing Alvaro Carreras
Real Madrid are planning to bring Alvaro Carreras back to the Santiago Bernabeu, according to Diario SPORT (via Madrid Universal). The Spaniard spent two seasons in the club's academy before leaving for Manchester United in 2019.
Last summer, Carreras left Old Trafford to complete a permanent move to Benfica and has been outstanding for the Portuguese club so far. This season, he has registered three goals and four assists from 30 games across competitions, forcing Los Blancos to take note.
The 21-year-old also has admirers at Barcelona and could ignite a bidding war for his services this year. Real Madrid want to sign a new left-back this year and were previously planning a Bosman move for Alphonso Davies.
However, the Canadian looks set to sign a new deal with Bayern Munich, forcing Los Blancos to search for alternatives. Carreras could be an interesting option for the job.
Liverpool want Rodrygo
Liverpool are interested in Rodrygo Goes, according to TEAMtalk (via Madrid Universal). The Brazilian's future at Real Madrid has been subject of speculation since Kylian Mbappe's arrival last summer.
However, Rodrygo has still registered eight goals and six assists from 24 games across competitions for Los Blancos. The LaLiga giants are not actively looking to let him go, but the Reds are planning to test their resolve.
The Merseyside club have apparently identified the 24-year-old as a possible replacement for Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian forward's contract at Anfield expires in six months and he hasn't signed a new deal yet.
Rodrygo is no longer a guaranteed starter for Real Madrid and could be tempted to move to Liverpool for a fresh start. His contract runs until 2028.
Carlo Ancelotti opens up on his future
Carlo Ancelotti has brushed aside talks of him exiting Real Madrid this summer. Recent reports have suggested that the Italian has already decided to end his stay at the Santiago Bernabeu at the end of this campaign.
Ancelotti's contract runs until 2026 and he has endured mixed fortunes this season. It has been suggested that the LaLiga giants have already identified Bayer Leverkusen's Xabi Alonso as his replacement.
However, speaking to the press as cited by Madrid Universal, the Italian insisted that his departure would only be decided by the club.
“No… no… (laughs). I want to be very clear: the date of departure from this club is never going to be decided by me, never in my life. Someday that time will come, but I don’t know when it will be. It’s not for me to decide," said Ancelotti.
He continued:
“It could be tomorrow (laughs), in a few games, a year, five years… Florentino will be here for four more years and my goal is to reach Florentino’s four years (laughs). And that way we can say goodbye together (laughs).”
Ancelotti is the most successful manager in the LaLiga giants' history, with 15 trophies to his name.