Bayer Leverkusen CEO addresses future of Xabi Alonso amid Real Madrid links – ‘We have an agreement’ | OneFootball

Real Madrid are already planning for the coming season and they have massive changes to implement in the summer.

While there will undoubtedly be movements in terms of player arrivals and departures, Los Blancos appear set for a managerial change with Carlo Ancelotti under serious pressure to leave.

With the Brazilian national team waiting for his signing, the Italian tactician is closer to leaving than staying. Xabi Alonso, needless to say, stands out as the best-placed profile to replace Ancelotti.

Bayer Leverkusen CEO speaks

Xabi Alonso is best-placed to replace Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid. (Photo by Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty Images)

As relayed by Jorge C Picon, Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro spoke to the media recently about the links between Xabi Alonso and Real Madrid and honestly opened up on the possibility of the deal going through.

First, he began by iterating that the door was not closed for Alonso and that a decision was yet to be taken.

“The decision has to be in the next three or four weeks, we can’t wait until the end of the season. Before the season ends we will know.”

He then admitted that Bayer Leverkusen have an agreement with Alonso to negotiate and enable a departure should any club he has played for in the past enquire about his availability. Real Madrid, needless to say, come under that bracket.

“We have a gentlemen’s agreement by which, if a team in which he has played for comes, we would sit down to talk and we would not prevent him.”

“He has played for Bayern, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Real Sociedad,” he added, clarifying the club who can utilise the clause.

Carro then went on to speak about his relationship with the manager and how they were planning for next season despite the noise and uncertainty around his future.

“I am calm because our relationship with Xabi Alonso is very good. We are aware that in football there may be situations where there are changes in a club that affect others.”

“The reality is that we are preparing for next season with him. We have worked every day and he is involved in the preparation for next year,” he added.

The Bayer Leverkusen CEO then jovially spoke on how he supported Real Madrid and wished for them to win on all fronts just so that Alonso would stay in Germany with his team.

“Our wish would be for him to continue. I would like Madrid to win all the competitions in which it participates because then there would be no such discussions.”

“They have been eliminated from the Champions League but can win the League and the Cup. We can speculate a lot, but right now there is nothing,” he added, speaking practically.

Praising Alonso as a manager and diving into what made him believe he would make for a great coach, Carro said,

“Since we signed Xabi Alonso we were convinced that he was going to be a great coach. At the time we signed it, we were already working on the following ones. You are continuously preparing players and coaches.”

Finally, the president spoke on his relationship with Real Madrid, Florentino Perez and how both clubs were cordially related to each other despite the managerial situation.

“We know them. We have a very good relationship with Real Madrid. I have only seen Florentino Pérez once but I have an excellent relationship with José Ángel Sánchez (general manager).”

“We have had a player on loan in Leverkusen, we have talked about many players in the past. There is a fluid relationship between two clubs that respect each other,” he added.