In recent weeks, there has been lots of speculation about the manager’s job at Real Madrid, which could soon be vacant. Carlo Ancelotti is currently in charge, but should he end the season on a downer, it is almost certain that his second spell as head coach would be brought to a premature end.
There is a growing belief that Ancelotti will depart Real Madrid regardless of whether they win La Liga and/or the Copa del Rey, with the Italian also expected to leave his post before the Club World Cup starts in June. And were that to happen, the overriding favourite to succeed him is Xabi Alonso.
Alonso has been on Real Madrid’s radar for a while now, and this summer could be the time that he takes the reins at the Santiago Bernabeu. He has an agreement with Bayer Leverkusen that he can leave for the Spanish capital if that is what he wants, although Los Blancos would need to buy him out of his contract, which does not expire until the end of next season.
And according to El Partidazo de COPE, it would cost €8m for Real Madrid to bring Alonso in this summer. As such, the club would exceed their entire spend from last summer if they were to activate this agreement with Leverkusen, given that Kylian Mbappe (free transfer) was the only player to arrive in 2024.
It does feel inevitable that Alonso will end up as the next manager of Real Madrid, despite links with the likes of Andoni Iraola and Jurgen Klopp in recent months. There had been question marks over when he would take over from Ancelotti, but it is looking increasingly likely that everything will happen this summer. And if so, it would represent a new era for the club.
