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The possibility of Xabi Alonso’s becoming Real Madrid’s next coach is becoming increasingly apparent, with recent reports claiming current manager Carlo Ancelotti will leave the club at the end of the season.
Alonso, who is currently Bayer Leverkusen’s head coach, has been linked with a move to Real Madrid this summer despite his contract with the Bundesliga side expiring in 2026.
While Alonso’s agent, Inaki Ibanez, has publicly denied rumors of reaching an agreement with Los Blancos, the former is understood to have a gentleman’s agreement in his contract with Leverkusen that will allow him to join any of his former clubs, of which Real Madrid is one of, if they show interest.
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As per reports, director of professional football Santiago Solari will lead Real Madrid to the 2025 Club World Cup as an interim manager should Ancelotti depart. Alonso will reportedly take the managerial mantle at the start of next season.
With the situation now looking like Xabi Alonso could return to his former team as a manager, Diario AS has reported that the Spaniard has three players on his radar ahead of his potential switch to the Spanish capital.
As per the abovementioned source, he has put three names on the table, with two of them being his current players. They include Martin Zubimendi, Florian Wirtz, and Jonathan Tah.
Zubimendi, who currently plies his trade with Real Sociedad, has a €60 million buyout clause on his contract. He is believed to be an apt replacement for Toni Kroos, who retired from the sport last summer.
Real Madrid could sign Tah as a free agent, as his contract with Leverkusen will expire this summer. Meanwhile, Wirtz’s contract with the Bundesliga club will expire in 2027 and his current market value is €140 million, as per Transfermarkt.
Brazil agreement with Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti on the verge of collapsing - Reports
According to Relevo, the agreement between Carlo Ancelotti and the Brazil national team is on the verge of falling through after negotiations between both parties reached an impasse.
After reports emerged that Ancelotti would leave Real Madrid at the end of the season, it was said that the Italian had reached an agreement with Seleção to take over as their head coach at the end of the season.
Ancelotti’s current contract with Los Blancos will expire in the summer of 2026. As per Brazilian outlet Geglobo, he has a €25 million gross to receive by the end of his contract in mid-2026 and will not let go of the entire amount.
However, club president Florentino Perez doesn’t want to pay any exit fee to Ancelotti after finding out about his agreement with CBF.
Relevo claims Real Madrid has now taken a new stance regarding Ancelotti’s future and are now insisting that they want him to be in charge for the Club World Cup, a decision that the Brazil national team does not agree with. The deal is believed to be on the edge of a precipice, as CBF can’t wait any longer.
To that end, Brazil will likely turn their attention to Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus if a solution can’t be reached.
