By Simon Wilkes
Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso will leave German Bundesliga team Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the 2024/25 season – and is widely expected to join Real Madrid as head coach.
Classy playmaker Alonso represented Real and the Reds in his distinguished playing career but is being tipped to take over from Carlo Ancelotti at the Bernabeu this summer.
The 43-year-old Spaniard won Leverkusen’s first Bundesliga title in a league and cup double-winning campaign in 2023/24 – and are currently second in the league standings, having surrendered their German crown to Bayern Munich last weekend.
Leverkusen have agreed to release Alonso from his contract a year early, clearing the path for him to join Real Madrid on a free, according to reports.
Ancelotti won the Champions League and LaLiga trophies with Real last season – but his troops trail league leaders Barcelona by four points with four LaLiga games remaining.
READ MORE: Liverpool pay tribute to departing Trent Alexander-Arnold
Mixed emotions
Alonso refused to be drawn on the Real rumours, though, telling the press on Friday: “This week, the club and I have agreed that these are going to be my last two games as Bayer Leverkusen coach.
“This is a moment with mixed emotions. This is not a moment to talk about the future.
“We want to have a proper farewell on Sunday here for some players, myself. It was the right moment to announce it.
“When the season is wrapped, then it will be the moment for the next thing. Not the moment for that.”
Leaving on a high
One person also seemingly on the way to Madrid this summer is England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, who announced he was leaving Liverpool at the end of the season, a title-winning one to ensure he departs on a high.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot discussed the right-back’s decision with the press ahead of Sunday’s showdown at Anfield with second-placed Arsenal.
The Dutchman said: “I think, like everybody who likes Liverpool and is a fan of Liverpool, we are disappointed for him leaving because not only a good human being is leaving the club but a very good full-back is leaving us as well.
“But I also worked at clubs like AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord, where every season a very good player or multiple very good players have left the club, so I am a bit more used to it.
“But the experience I have – and by the way this club as well – is that if a very good player is leaving, the next very good player will step up and that probably will happen now.
“We are all disappointed but Trent is the first one also who said he would prefer us as a team and a club not to be not too distracted by this announcement.
“I am hoping all the energy on Sunday goes to the players and less as possible to Trent – unless it is positive then they can do whatever they want.”
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Ciara Mina