Xabi Alonso ‘will leave Bayer Leverkusen in 2025’ with three European giants on red alert
This season will reportedly be Xabi Alonso's last at Bayer Leverkusen.
Eurosport ES claims Alonso will depart the German club at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
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After two astonishing years in the Bundesliga - including an unprecedented, undefeated title-winning campaign - Alonso's suspected exit will have three of Europe's biggest clubs on red alert.
Many see ex-Real Madrid star Alonso as the natural successor for Carlo Ancelotti at the Bernabeu - and this appears the most likely outcome.
Ancelotti's contract with Madrid expires in June 2026, but Los Blancos president Florentino Perez has constantly shown a willingness to aggressively pursue players and managers.
Alonso's contract with Leverkusen is also due to finish at the same time as Ancelotti's.
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The report also claims Bayern Munich, another one of Alonso's former employers, retain an interest.
Bayern only employed incumbent boss Vincent Kompany in the summer having forked out just over £10million in compensation to prise him from Championship side Burnley.
Although Kompany has Bayern sitting pretty at the top of the Bundesliga table, defeats to Aston Villa and Barcelona in the Champions League have given critics enough ammunition to question if he is the best long-term option for the club.
talkSPORT also understands defending Premier League champions Manchester City are another potential destination.
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City boss Pep Guardiola's contract at the club expires at the end of the season and although the Spaniard has not ruled out extending his stay, he is no closer to a new deal.
Although City's ideal plan is for Guardiola to stay, Alonso is believed to be high on the club's shortlist of potential replacements.
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Alonso could have already been a Premier League manager had another one of his former clubs, Liverpool, convinced him to become Jurgen Klopp's successor.
However, the Spaniard rebuffed the Reds' advances as they quickly pivoted towards Arne Slot.
Quizzed on why he turned down Liverpool, Alonso claimed there 'were many reasons'.
"After one year, we're building a team, we're building a great spirit here," Alonso told TNT Sports in April.
"There were many reasons and so many players. The season has been great so far, and for sure we want to keep having this thing together.
"I felt part of it. After one year, it didn't feel like the right timing, and that's why I'm committed."
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Commenting on where Alonso is most likely to turn up, talkSPORT's Bundesliga expert Kevin Hatchard sees the race between Madrid and City.
“I think the Real Madrid link makes sense if they need a reset," he said. "With Manchester City we’re talking about a clear game idea, a clear ideology, not massively different to Guardiola in some ways.
"I think he’s the kind of character who could slot in and have the politician’s mind to deal with that.
“The Liverpool job is no longer there, the Bayern job is no longer there, the big one is Real Madrid and they are still big admirers of his.
"Carlo Ancelotti hasn’t had a great start to the season but there’s a lack of clarity about what’s going on there." I’m surprised by the timing that this has come out."
Alonso arrived at Leverkusen in October 2022 with the club entrenched in a relegation battle.
Xabi Alonso makes he long awaited return to Liverpool on a Champions League night
The World Cup winner quickly dragged the club away from danger and led Leverkusen to an impressive sixth-place finish in his maiden campaign, which was enough to secure a Europa League spot.
Alonso built on his first season at the helm in the most impressive way possible as Leverkusen enjoyed an unbeaten domestic season where they claimed the Bundesliga title and the DFB-Pokal.
Unfortunately for Alonso, he fell one game short of going the entire season undefeated across all competitions as Leverkusen lost 3-0 to Atalanta in the 23/24 Europa League final.
His departure will likely have a huge impact on Leverkusen, but Hatchard thinks that even this story alone could cause issues for the reigning German champions.
"I’m surprised by the timing that this has come out," he said. “I don’t think it’s a massive surprise that he’s leaving, but for it to come out at this stage isn’t what the club would have wanted.
"[Sporting director] Simon Rolfes was speaking recently about how he’d been given no indication Alonso was going to break his contract and he was going to stay beyond the end of this season and some of the players have talked about him staying this season.
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"But there’s no doubt they haven’t been the same team this season, that’s understandable, but I think if it does come out that he’s leaving and this gets confirmed I think it’s a real hammer blow for them.
"It’s so far until the end of the season, there’s still a lot up for grabs, they can still get back in the title race and they’ve played really well in the Champions League."