The best thing Alvaro Arbeloa had going for him in the race for the Real Madrid job was the team’s turnaround in La Liga. They clawed back a four-point gap to overtake Barcelona at the top. But after back-to-back losses to Osasuna and Getafe, all that work’s gone. Suddenly, Real Madrid are right back where they started under Xabi Alonso, except now they’re also out of the Copa del Rey.

They lost 1-0 to Getafe. Arbeloa stood by his team, took the blame, and said they created enough chances to win. Still, critics keep hammering him for not finding answers or setting a clear direction after almost two months in charge.

And it’s not just the press. People in charge at Real Madrid are getting twitchy about Arbeloa, too. According to Diario AS, there are real doubts about whether he’ll stick around. March basically turns into a make-or-break month, with tough league games against Celta Vigo, Elche, and Atletico Madrid. Wedged between those is a Champions League showdown with Manchester City, which some are calling his "life jacket".

The players aren’t off the hook, but Arbeloa’s choices, playing guys out of position, odd substitutions, and poor results make his leadership look shaky. The club isn’t seeing the changes they wanted, and there’s a sense he should’ve done more to avoid those last two losses. Now, with just eight days before facing City, Arbeloa has to find a way to rally his team. But on top of the AS report, Pepe Alvarez is already calling Arbeloa’s fate "sealed".

There’s tension between Arbeloa and the club’s leadership, too. After the Getafe game, Arbeloa blamed the referee, telling Cadena Cope there were too many stoppages and Getafe got away with slowing things down. But upstairs, the feeling was different; someone in the presidential box shot back that it was actually Real Madrid wasting time, not Getafe. That says a lot about where things stand for Arbeloa right now.

Real Madrid aren’t just eyeing Vitinha from PSG anymore; they’re now interested in bringing in his teammate Joao Neves as well. That’s according to a new report, which also says that Madrid hasn't lost sight of Rodri from Manchester City, even if that deal looks tough.

Madrid has been after Vitinha for a while. He’s the kind of midfielder who can dictate play and control the game from the centre. Lately, Spanish media have been buzzing about Madrid getting ready to make a huge offer of around €100 million for him. Supposedly, Vitinha has a private agreement that lets him leave PSG if someone puts that kind of money on the table.

But now, Sports Boom claims Madrid have set their sights on Neves, too. Apparently, the club sees him as the missing piece in their plan to rebuild the midfield. Scouts have already told the board that he’s a must-sign. Now, it’s up to Florentino Pérez to figure out if Madrid will go all-in.

It won’t be easy, though. PSG just won the league and the Champions League; they’re not looking to part ways with Neves. If Madrid wants him, they’ll need to cough up somewhere between €150 and €160 million. Neves only joined PSG from Benfica last summer, and he’s under contract until 2029.

He’s already made an impact: 13 goals and 12 assists in 83 games for PSG. This season alone, the 21-year-old has started 11 times in Ligue 1 and six times in the Champions League.

Switching gears, Real Madrid is also keeping an eye on Adam Wharton from Crystal Palace, according to Fraser Fletcher, their transfer correspondent. And Liverpool? They’re apparently preparing a massive bid for one of Madrid’s own rising stars, but there’s no word yet if Madrid will actually let him go.

And just when you thought things couldn’t get any wilder, a Spanish report claims Thibaut Courtois wants Madrid to move on from Trent Alexander-Arnold, who just arrived from Liverpool in 2025. The drama never really stops at the Bernabéu.