Real Madrid will not be appointing Xabi Alonso as manager this summer, barring a shock turn of events, and it has opened up the way for other sides to go after the Basque coach. Shining at Bayer Leverkusen, Alonso was tipped by many to find his way to the Santiago Bernabeu at the end of Carlo Ancelotti’s contract, but the Italian extended his deal until 2026, ruling out a move for the immediate future.
Alonso has always maintained that he is happy at Leverkusen and is seeking to build further with die Werkself, but one of his former clubs is looking to tempt him away. Bayern Munich have decided that if Thomas Tuchel is sacked, then Alonso will be their top target, say Relevo.
In their words, it is ‘difficult’ for Tuchel to turn things around at Bayern. Arriving in March of 2023, some of the board have already lost confidence in the ex-Chelsea boss, and feel he is not up to the task, after surprise defeats to Eintracht Frankfurt (5-1) and Saarbrucken (2-1) in the German Pokal. When his spell ends is not clear, but if and when that happens Alonso is leading the way to be the next in the door – albeit it seems more likely to happen in the summer.
In part because it would not fit Alonso’s character to leave Leverkusen midseason, but he does have an interest in managing Bayern. He is keen on managing the three big clubs that he played for, Liverpool and Real Madrid being the other two.
It seems highly likely that Alonso will be in the dugout at the Bernabeu at some point, but if Alonso does take over at Bayern next summer, it would likely push that back until some point after 2025, if not further down the line. Carlo Ancelotti’s renewal took many by surprise in Madrid, and it may have given Bayern the confidence to go after Alonso, knowing they will not have to compete with Los Blancos.
