Leverkusen CEO opens door to Xabi Alonso move amid growing Real Madrid links | OneFootball

Speculation is mounting that Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso could return to his former club, Real Madrid, to replace Carlo Ancelotti at the end of the season.

While Alonso still has one year left on his contract with Leverkusen, the club would be willing to let him leave for Real Madrid - or any of his former clubs - thanks to a "gentleman's agreement," as CEO Fernando Carro confirmed to reporters on Monday (via ESPN).

Of course, any potential move would also depend on the transfer fee, with Bild reporting that Leverkusen would demand €15-20 million for their coach.

"In a few weeks, we'll know if there's a coaching change at our clubs, but the fact is that we're a very professional club and we have to be prepared for anything," Carro said.

"From the moment we signed Xabi, we knew he was going to be a great coach, and from the moment you sign one, you have to prepare others. His signing wasn't just a one-off. First, we signed him for a year and a half until 2024, and then until 2026.

"By signing him until 2026, we had confidence he'd stay. We can sleep peacefully, have a good breakfast, and be prepared for any eventuality. We have a gentleman's agreement, and if a team he's played for comes along, we can sit down."

Carro added that he would prefer Alonso to remain at Leverkusen and emphasized the need for a clear decision on the coach’s future as soon as possible.

"We've been working together for almost three years, and we're aware that in football, changes can occur at a club that affect others," Carro said.

"We're not naive, but the truth is that the coach is important, and that's why we're preparing next season's team with him.

“He's fully involved and integrated into the preparations. If, in the end, there's interest from another club and he's interested, we have a relationship that would have to be discussed. It's not our wish, but we're clear that the decision has to be made within three or four weeks; we can't wait until the end of the season.”