Real Madrid have been desperate to sign Álvaro Carreras from Benfica this summer and a transfer agreement has now been reached, Los Blancos were eager to add the left back to their roster before the FIFA Club World Cup but were unable to finalize a deal in time.

Manchester United have been trying all summer to sell stars such as Antony and Jadon Sancho to raise funds for future incomings.Up to this point, they have struggled to close any deals for their own

But listen to the way Xabi Alonso spoke about Alex Grimaldo throughout Bayer Leverkusen’s invincible title-winning season — when he provided 10 goals and 13 assists in the Bundesliga from his high-flying wing-back role — and it would be fair to assume that the Spaniard was top of the class.