Real Madrid are reportedly already eyeing up potential replacements for Carlo Ancelotti for the start of the 2025-26 campaign.
Ancelotti recently shunned interest from Brazil to extend his contract at the Bernabeu until 2026, a move well received by all concerned.
Although Los Blancos surrendered their hold of the La Liga title last season, they are well on course to regain it this time around.
Real sit eight points clear of Barcelona having lost just one of their 30 league matches this campaign, while they are also in the Champions League quarter-finals.
However, while there is no prospect of Ancelotti departing his role at Real before the end of 2024-25, president Florentino Perez is seemingly already giving thought to the club's next manager.
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Alonso remains on the radar
For several months, Real have felt in the position that they would likely miss out on appointing Xabi Alonso as their next boss courtesy of the fierce interest from Liverpool and Bayern Munich.
While Alonso has represented all three teams in his playing career, Liverpool and Bayern are currently scouring the market for replacements for Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel.
Nevertheless, last week, Alonso publicly revealed that he will not be leaving Leverkusen at the end of the season, preferring to continue the phenomenal job that he is doing at the BayArena.
According to Relevo, Real officials were left delighted when Alonso announced his decision to remain in the Bundesliga for the foreseeable future.
The report acknowledges that Real now see themselves as the potential next destination for the Spaniard when his time at Leverkusen comes to an end.
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Alonso holds a contract at Leverkusen until 2026 - like Ancelotti does at Real - yet it is plausible to expect the 42-year-old to contemplate a different challenge, assuming that he is still in charge of the German side at the end of next season.
Perez is allegedly of the opinion that Alonso is his ideal candidate to eventually take the reins from Ancelotti.
If a situation arises where Alonso is available in the summer of 2025, it is claimed that Perez would be tempted to replace Ancelotti with the former midfielder.
Two-time former manager Zinedine Zidane has also been touted as a potential option for Real, something that is unlikely to change unless he takes another job in the meantime.
While the likes of Ruben Amorim and Roberto De Zerbi may realistically feature somewhere on Real's shortlist, it appears increasingly likely that the Sporting Lisbon and Brighton & Hove Albion will depart their respective clubs in the summer.
