It was always clear that the defence would be Real Madrid’s biggest priority heading into the new season. Florentino Perez and Co., needless to say, have over-delivered on that front.After signing

Five years later, Álvaro Carreras is back with Real Madrid. The Spanish left back cost €50 million ($58.4 million) to sign from Benfica, the club he joined a permanent transfer just last summer from Manchester United. The Portuguese side had paid only €6 million ($7 million), agreed as part of loan from England.

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.