Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso said that it is "not a good time" to discuss his future amid suggestions that Real Madrid are keen to appoint him as their new manager at the end of the campaign.
Alonso, 43, is regarded as a leading candidate to replace Carlo Ancelotti, with Real Madrid believed to be preparing to sack the Italian.
Ancelotti guided Real Madrid to a La Liga and Champions League double last season, while he has already lifted one trophy this term, with the capital giants triumphing in the UEFA Super Cup at the start of the campaign.
Los Blancos can still win La Liga and the Copa del Rey this season, meanwhile, but the manner of their exit in the Champions League quarter-finals was not well received by senior figures at the club.
Wednesday's 2-1 home defeat to Arsenal made it a 5-1 aggregate loss to the Gunners in the final eight of the competition, and it is understood that a new manager will be in place this summer, potentially ahead of the Club World Cup.
© Imago
Ancelotti may be sacked by Real Madrid after CL exit
Alonso, who played for Real Madrid between 2009 and 2014, was questioned on his future on Friday, but the Spaniard said that it was "not a good time" to discuss such matters.
"It's not a good time to discuss the future. We're at a very important moment in the season," Alonso told reporters. "I don't want to talk about speculation and rumours. [I understand] that this is happening, but what's more important to me is what's happening right now."
Alonso guided Leverkusen to a league and cup double last season, while the Black and Reds are very much in the Bundesliga title race heading towards the end of the 2024-25 campaign.
Die Werkself are second in the Bundesliga table, six points behind the leaders Bayern Munich, and Alonso has refused to engage in talks surrounding a potential return to the Spanish capital this summer.
© Imago
Who else is in the frame to replace Ancelotti?
According to Marca, Real Madrid could make a change ahead of the Club World Cup, which begins in the middle of June, with the capital giants said to be preparing to take the competition incredibly seriously.
Should a deal for Alonso prove to be difficult, then it is believed that Raul, who has been the head coach of Real Madrid Castilla since 2019, would be an option for the role, likely on a short-term basis.
Meanwhile, it is understood that Santiago Solari, who is currently working as Real Madrid's director of football, is also being considered on an interim basis.
Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola also allegedly has admirers among senior figures at Real Madrid, while speculation linking Jurgen Klopp with a spectacular return to management at Bernabeu is also gathering pace.
Matt Law
