La Liga champions Real Madrid are reportedly closely monitoring the progress of Xabi Alonso at Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen.
According to a report by ESPN, Xabi Alonso has emerged on the radar of Real Madrid over a possible appointment in the future. The reigning La Liga champions might look to appoint the 40-year-old Bayer Leverkusen manager as Carlo Ancelotti’s successor if he progresses well at the Bundesliga club.
Xabi Alonso is one of the most complete midfielders ever to have played the game. The Spaniard enjoyed a memorable professional career that spanned nearly two decades. During that period, he played for some of the biggest European powerhouses, including Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich.
Alonso’s most successful stints came with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, winning five trophies with both clubs. The 40-year-old also lifted the prestigious UEFA Champions League twice, once with Liverpool and once with Real Madrid. Alonso’s playing career ended at Bayern Munich in 2017. And he subsequently entered the world of management.
Alonso earned his coaching badges before securing his first appointment as a manager with Real Sociedad. The Spaniard took charge of the Basque club’s reserve side, coaching the team from 2019 to 2022. And he honed his skills well by retaining a win rate of over 40 per cent.
Interestingly, he declined to manage Bundesliga giants Borussia Monchengladbach to continue at Real Sociedad B. And after grooming himself in the coaching world at the Basque outfit, Alonso finally moved to a first-team setting when he joined Bayer Leverkusen earlier this month, replacing Gerardo Seoane.
But Alonso has not made the most memorable start at Bayer Leverkusen, losing back-to-back games after winning his first match in charge against Schalke. The latest setback came against Eintracht Frankfurt, who handed Die Werkself a 5-1 trouncing this weekend.
Nonetheless, Alonso remains on Real Madrid’s radar, who will look to lay down a succession plan for Carlo Ancelotti. The reigning La Liga champions already have several names on their shortlist, including Jurgen Klopp and another Bundesliga-based manager Julian Nagelsmann.
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Meanwhile, Ancelotti has already confirmed that he will retire once his current stint with Real Madrid ends. And it will be interesting to see if the Merengues deem Alonso ready to take charge at the Santiago Bernabeu when the Italian tactician calls it a day. For now, the 40-year-old continues to hone his skills in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen.
