Set for Real Madrid? Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen future to be decided in “next few weeks”

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2nd in Bundesliga 

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Bayer Leverkusen Managing Director Fernando Carro has voiced his frustration over the constant speculation surrounding Xabi Alonso and stated that the Spaniard’s future will need to be decided in the next few weeks. The 43-year-old tactician has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid for the best part of two years, but reports in Spain have gone into overdrive following the LaLiga club’s elimination from the Champions League and their lagging form in the league. As such, Carlo Ancelotti is widely expected to step down at the end of the season and Alonso remains the odds-on favourite to step into the role next season. 

Carro is well aware of Madrid’s interest in Alonso and the Leverkusen boss is hoping to see a quick end to the constant speculation before the end of the season. “The coaching position is very important for a club,” said Carro to reporters at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid this week. “We are planning the preparation for next season with Xabi Alonso, we are also planning the squad and the transfers. That’s why it’s important that we have clarity relatively quickly in the next few weeks. Xabi knows that.” He added: “We agree with him that the decision must be made in the next three or four weeks. We cannot wait until the end of the season to know.”

In recent weeks, reports in Germany and Spain have suggested that a release clause in Alonso’s contract would allow him to leave prior to its expiration next year. But Carro also clarified that there was no technical clause in Alonso’s contract with the club, adding: “No, but we have a gentlemen’s agreement. If a team he has played for comes, we will sit down and talk and we won’t put obstacles in his way. He’s played for Bayern, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Real Sociedad. …. maybe Real Sociedad will come! Last year during the international break he assured us that he would stay with us, despite having offers from other teams. This international break, at the end of March, we sat down to talk and we have given ourselves some time to decide if he will stay with us until next year. We are very calm because we have an excellent relationship.”

Such remarks certainly suggest that there has been movement in the last few weeks with regards to Alonso potentially leaving Leverkusen at the end of the season. When asked about his future after the weekend’s draw with St Pauli, the Leverkusen boss instead opted to avoid answering the question directly. “This is not a good moment to talk about the future,” said the Spaniard. “I don’t want to talk about rumors and speculation.” This was also a far cry from recent remarks from Leverkusen’s managing director of sport, Simon Rolfes, who was far more defiant about Alonso staying at the club at the end of March. “No, he’s staying,” declared Rolfes when asked about Alonso’s future. “There’s nothing else. He said there was nothing. He has a contract with us.” 

Alonso has certainly made waves in German football since joining Leverkusen in 2022. In no time at all, the Spaniard has led the club to the top of the Bundesliga, not only challenging Bayern Munich’s often unrivalled dominance of the division but also led the club to their first ever title last season. And while the BayArena club haven’t managed to repeat the trick this time around, Leverkusen still sit comfortably in second place, 12 points above third place and eight points behind Bayern with four games left of the league campaign.