What happened: Álvaro Carreras is expected to stay at Real Madrid this summer, with José Mourinho open to keeping the former Benfica left back as depth behind Cucurella. The move would leave Fran García as a possible departure as Madrid sorts out its left-back group.

Why it matters: The decision points to Mourinho prioritizing report/article/real-madrid-pay-15m-to-reappoint-jose-mourinho-2026-06-10">Real Madrid paid €15M to reappoint José Mourinho</a>. Keeping Carreras would also preserve a recent Benfica-linked piece while allowing Madrid to move another player instead of thinning the position too far.

What to watch: Watch whether Real Madrid formalize García's exit path and how Mourinho sets the left-back hierarchy in preseason.