Bayer Leverkusen believe manager Xabi Alonso will leave for Real Madrid at the end of the season, according to Florian Plettenberg of Sky Germany.

Alonso, whose contract with Leverkusen expires in 2026, is said to be Real Madrid’s preferred candidate to replace current boss Carlo Ancelotti.

Notably, the Spanish coach, who won the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and DFL-Supercup with the German club last season, was widely tipped to replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool last summer. However, Alonso dismissed these rumors and said Leverkusen was the “right place” for him as a promising coach.

Meanwhile, Manchester City have reportedly shown ‘concrete interest’ in Alonso. The English Premier League club would consider the 42-year-old if Pep Guardiola leaves the Etihad Stadium this summer. However, reports suggest that Guardiola is close to signing a new deal with the Manchester-based side.

Plettenberg also noted that if Alonso takes over at Real Madrid, it would significantly increase the chances of Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz joining him at the Santiago Bernabeu. Wirtz has recently been linked with a move to Los Blancos.

Alonso began his football manager career in 2018 when he took charge of Real Sociedad’s B team. During his second season, he successfully won promotion to the Spanish Segunda division. He was later linked with a move to Borussia Mönchengladbach, but the Spaniard ended up signing a contract extension with Sociedad.

In October 2022, Alonso was appointed as the new head coach of Leverkusen. Since then, he has won the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal and the DFL-Supercup. Additionally, Alonso guided Leverkusen to the UEFA Europa League final in 2024, where they lost 3-0 to Atalanta.

Recommended

John Terry backs Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo to reach iconic football milestone

Roma defender and former Real Madrid Academy player honored by club’s interest

The 10 most successful managers in Real Madrid history