Xabi Alonso comments on his future amid Real Madrid links  | OneFootball

Despite Bayern Munich’s best efforts to lure Xabi Alonso away from Bayer Leverkusen during the summer, the Spanish head coach made it clear that his future remained with the German champions.

Instead, Der Rekordmeister spent the next few months hunting down a suitable successor to Thomas Tuchel, as if it were a wild goose chase, until they finally found someone willing to take the job on: Vincent Kompany.

Nevertheless, there were suggestions that this was not Alonso turning down Bayern but instead waiting for when the Real Madrid job became available.

With Carlo Ancelotti signing a new deal at the Santiago Bernabéu halfway through last season, there was a sense that Alonso would always remain at the BayArena and wait for the opportunity to arise in Madrid.

Now, as reports heighten regarding Ancelotti’s potential departure this summer, rumours speculating Alonso as the Italian’s natural heir have also increased, especially with Leverkusen’s upcoming match against Los Blancos’ bitter rivals Atlético de Madrid.

Commenting on his future at Leverkusen in the pre-match press conference (via FT), Alonso stated:

“Time passes, but the affection remains. My bond with Real is strong, that’s clear, but my focus now is on Bayer Leverkusen.”

“I have enough things to take care of. I’m not thinking about that at the moment.”

Alonso’s contract at the BayArena is not set to expire until 2026, but should Ancelotti depart a year early from his deal in the Spanish capital, then an early move away from the Bundesliga could certainly be on the cards for Alonso.

GGFN | Will Shopland