Real Madrid facing Xabi Alonso competition from European giant

It is no secret that Real Madrid are strongly considering Xabi Alonso as their next head coach for when Carlo Ancelotti inevitably leaves the club at some stage in the next 15 months. The Italian’s future has regularly been speculated upon over the last couple of years, and while there are no plans for him to leave before his contract expire in the summer of 2026, he could walk away sooner.

That could happen at the end of this season, and if it does, the expectation is that Real Madrid will move for Alonso – although they may not be alone in doing so. The 43-year-old has many suitors given his exploits with Bayer Leverkusen, and one of them is Manchester City, who could be looking for a new manager themselves.

Earlier in the season, Pep Guardiola signed a contract extension until 2026, meaning that he could also be moved on at the same time as Ancelotti and Alonso leave their current positions. At this point, Man City are expected to consider Alonso as a candidate to be their next head coach, as reported by BILD (via ED).

The likelihood is that the summer of 2026 will also be the time that Real Madrid go for Alonso, as it would be a surprise to see Ancelotti sacked before the end of his contract. As such, it could be a straight shoot-out between them and Man City to see who can land the Basque as their next head coach.

The race for Alonso will be a very interesting one. Leverkusen would not stand in his way if he sought an exit before the end of his contract, although the likelihood is that he stays at the reigning Bundesliga champions for another season. In the meantime, Real Madrid will remain on alert, and so will Man City.