Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are reportedly both keen to hire Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso as their new manager.
The former Liverpool midfielder has earned plenty of admirers since taking the reins last October, having previously spent three years in charge of the Real Sociedad B team.
Alonso won just one of his first seven games in charge of Leverkusen and oversaw their elimination from the Champions League, but he turned their fortunes around in the second half of the campaign.
Under the 41-year-old's wing, Leverkusen reached the semi-finals of the Europa League before suffering heartache against Roma, while they finished sixth in the Bundesliga to seal a return to the continent's secondary competition.
An unbeaten start to the 2023-24 season has also seen Alonso's side take 10 points from their opening four games to sit at the top of the table ahead of Bayern Munich, whom they held to a 2-2 draw on Friday.
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Now, Mundo Deportivo reports that the Bundesliga champions are one of two sides hoping to poach Alonso from Leverkusen next summer, alongside Spanish powerhouses Real Madrid.
Bayern only appointed Thomas Tuchel as their new head coach at the end of March to replace the outgoing Julian Nagelsmann, and the ex-Borussia Dortmund coach won the Bundesliga title within two months of taking over.
However, Bayern were pushed all the way by Dortmund and suffered a 4-1 aggregate defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League quarter-finals, and the cracks are now thought to be appearing.
FC Hollywood are already believed to be planning for Tuchel's exit and the possible appointment of Alonso, but the Bavarians will face incredibly stiff competition from their Bernabeu counterparts.
At the end of the current campaign, Carlo Ancelotti will step away from the Real Madrid dugout for the final time to take charge of the Brazil team, leaving his successor with incredibly big shoes to fill.
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Los Blancos were originally thought to be considering Nagelsmann as Ancelotti's replacement, but the report states that Alonso is now Florentino Perez's number one pick.
The former Spain international spent five years in the famous white strip during his playing days, making 236 appearances for Real Madrid between 2009 and 2014 and winning five major trophies, including the Champions League and La Liga.
Leverkusen would be in line for a hefty compensation package should Real or Bayern move for Alonso in 2024, though, as his contract does not expire for another three years.
The 41-year-old's overall record for Leverkusen reads 21 wins, 11 draws and 10 losses from 42 matches, and his side open their Europa League campaign at home to Swedish side Hacken on Thursday.
Ben Knapton
