Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernandez were once viewed as transformative acquisitions for Real Madrid. Both Argentine midfielders delivered on football's biggest stage, anchoring their nation's 2022 World Cup triumph with tireless running and technical composure. Yet the 2024-25 season has exposed serious cracks in their performances, raising uncomfortable questions about whether Los Blancos should genuinely pursue either player when their midfield already faces significant structural challenges.
Liverpool sit fourth in the Premier League, ten points clear of Chelsea, but this masks a deeply troubling campaign for the Reds. The club has suffered an alarming 18 defeats across all competitions despite spending over £450 million to reinforce a title-winning squad. They now face the prospect of finishing trophy-less—a humbling outcome for a team expected to mount a genuine title challenge. Mac Allister, the versatile midfielder who arrived from Brighton on a wave of optimism, has been central to this collapse.
Mac Allister's Unexplained Decline
The most bewildering aspect of Mac Allister's struggles is their sudden nature. At 27 years old, he shows no obvious physical decline. He hasn't engaged in a public dispute with manager Arne Slot. Yet his performance level has plummeted without clear explanation. During Liverpool's 3-2 defeat to Manchester United, Mac Allister epitomized the team's dysfunction: he turned his back on a shot that deflected into his own net, gifted possession leading to United's second goal, and his clearance mistake gifted Kobbie Mainoo the winning strike. These weren't isolated lapses—they've become routine.
Liverpool supporters who hailed Mac Allister as one of the club's finest acquisitions just two years ago now watch him consistently underperform. Initial hopes that niggles and injury recovery explained his form have long since evaporated. The midfielder simply hasn't rediscovered his Brighton standards, leaving genuine uncertainty about whether his downturn reflects a deeper structural issue or temporary loss of confidence.
Fernandez's Parallel Struggles at Chelsea
Fernandez's trajectory mirrors Mac Allister's disappointment, though Chelsea's dysfunction runs even deeper. The Argentine arrived as a club-record signing following his World Cup heroics, yet has failed to impose himself consistently in a team plagued by managerial instability and tactical confusion. Like Mac Allister, Fernandez's technical abilities remain evident in flashes, but his inability to dominate matches or drive Chelsea's midfield forward raises serious doubts about his readiness for elite European football's demands.
For Real Madrid, the warning signs are unmistakable. Both midfielders thrived in World Cup-winning systems built around Argentina's specific structure and personnel. Replicating that environment at the Bernabéu—where midfield standards are defined by decades of Champions League excellence—presents an entirely different challenge. Mac Allister and Fernandez's current form suggests neither possesses the resilience or adaptability needed to elevate a struggling Madrid squad.
Real Madrid's pursuit of these Argentine talents may have made sense twelve months ago, but the evidence of this season demands a more cautious approach. Both players are currently undermining their elite status rather than reinforcing it, making them considerably riskier propositions than recent form suggests.
