Xabi Alonso to leave Bayer Leverkusen at end of season | OneFootball

Bayer Leverkusen have confirmed manager Xabi Alonso will leave the club at the end of the season.

Alonso was a relatively unknown managerial commodity when he agreed to join Leverkusen in 2022, having only taken the helm of Real Sociedad's B team prior to his move to Germany, but he wasted little time making a reputation for himself.

The former midfielder inspired an unbeaten Bundesliga triumph last season and was publicly courted by a number of Europe's top sides. Bayern Munich and Liverpool were rejected but long-term admirers Real Madrid kept their sights set firmly on hiring the Spaniard this summer.

Carlo Ancelotti is expected to leave Madrid at the end of the season and it was reported on Friday that Alonso had already agreed a three-year contract with the Spanish side.

A potential move to Madrid has now moved one step closer with confirmation that Alonso will step down from his role as Leverkusen manager this summer, 12 months before his contract expires.

"I owe great thanks to Bayer 04 Leverkusen, my players and staff, all the employees of the club and last but not least the fantastic fans," Alonso said. "Our success was the result of an outstanding team performance.

"This club, who showed exceptional trust in me, very much deserved to win the German league title for the first time. My thanks and admiration go to everybody who helped to make this triumph happen including the DFB Pokal win in Berlin. Bayer 04 are ready for the future. The positive path will continue and I will be excited to follow it."