In response, club president Florentino Perez hired Alonso and sanctioned around €180million (£155m; $210.5m) to be spent on new players, including defenders Dean Huijsen, Alvaro Carreras and Trent Alexander-Arnold, along with exciting young Argentine playmaker Franco Mastantuono.

Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso said on Monday he wanted his team's performance on the pitch to do the talking for him as he begins his first LaLiga campaign at home against Osasuna on Tuesday.