Xabi Alonso unlikely to commit long-term future to Bayer Leverkusen amid Real Madrid links: Reports

Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso is reportedly unlikely to stay long-term at the reigning Bundesliga champions amid links with his former side Real Madrid. The Spaniard has been at the BayArea helm since October 2022.

Alonso enjoyed unprecedented success in his first full season at Leverkusen. He led them to a historic unbeaten Bundesliga triumph, the first in competition history, with Leverkusen's only loss all season coming in the UEFA Europa League final against Atalanta. That denied them a historic unbeaten campaign and a continental treble.

Having signed a new deal in August 2023 to remain at Leverkusen till 2026, Alonso committed his future to the club in March last year despite links with top clubs like Liverpool and Bayern Munich.

However, as per MARCA (via GOAL), Alonso is looking to wait till the end of the season to make a decision on his Leverkusen future, in case Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti leaves. The Italian is in his second stint at the Santiago Bernabeu since 2021, with Alonso being widely seen as Ancelotti's eventual successor.

In January, Ancelotti said about his Madrid future (as per GOAL), allaying concerns that he would step down:

"I want to be very clear: I will never decide the date of my departure from this club in my life. I know perfectly well that it will come one day, but I will not decide that day."

Meanwhile, Alonso has had a successful sophomore season with Leverkusen, becoming the manager with the longest unbeaten away record in the Bundesliga (28 games) with a 2-0 win at Holstein Klien in February. That run now stands at 29.

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How did Xabi Alonso fare at Real Madrid?

Bayer Leverkusen press conference - Source: Getty

Xabi Alonso spent a successful five-season spell at Real Madrid since arriving from Liverpool in the summer of 2009. In 236 games across competitions, the midfielder registered six goals and 31 assists.

The Bayer Leverkusen boss won a La Liga and UEFA Champions League title among multiple honours in the Spanish captail before moving to Bayern Munich in 2014.

There, Xabi Alonso spent three seasons, winning three straight Bundesliga titles, among others, before calling it a day. The former Real Madrid man also found success in international football, winning two straight European Championships - interspersed with the 2010 FIFA World Cup - with Spain.