€68m Arsenal star contributing to Xabi Alonso downfall as Real Madrid sack beckons: ‘He didn’t get him’ | OneFootball

As Xabi Alonso faces the sack at Real Madrid should Manchester City win at the Santiago Bernabeu, a Spanish football expert has revealed how failure to sign Martin Zubimendi before he joined Arsenal in the summer of 2025 has contributed to his downfall, as the Spaniard’s desire to succeed Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium is disclosed.

Arsenal signed Zubimendi from Real Sociedad in the summer of 2025. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta were so keen on the Spain international midfielder that the Premier League club paid £60million (€68m, $78.5m) for him to get a favourable structural deal, despite his release clause being €60m (£53m, $69.2m).

ESPN reported on June 4 that Los Blancos had interest in Zubimendi, who was ‘waiting for a call from Real Madrid’, according to Defensa Central.

Sport claimed that Zubimendi was Alonso’s ‘great desire’, but it was Madrid president Florentino Perez who turned down the manager’s request to bring the 26-year-old to the Santiago Bernabeu before Arsenal sealed the deal.

Former Real Madrid striker Alfonso Perez Munoz said in October that Los Blancos should have signed Zubimendi, who has been a star for Arsenal this season and has established himself as one of the first names in the Gunners’ midfield.

Spanish football expert, Guillem Balague, has now analysed how the failure to sign Zubimendi has left Alonso just 90 minutes away from being sacked as the Madrid manager.

The Spanish media has reported that Real Madrid will sack Alonso should the team lose to Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Balague told BBC Sport: “Alonso would have liked Martin Zubimendi because he believes Madrid lack a midfielder who can give them rhythm and organisation.

“But he didn’t get him and had to work with physical, dynamic midfielders who are far more comfortable with quick transitions than with positional football and short, patient passing that he also wanted to implement.

“Arda Guler is trying to direct the team’s play but he is more of a forward than a midfielder.”

Xabi Alonso’s Manchester City desire revealed

Balague has also revealed Alonso’s desire to manage Man City in the future.

The Spanish football expert has noted that when Alonso took charge of Bayer in 2022, the 44-year-old specifically mentioned Man City among the clubs he wanted to talk to should they have come for him.

Balague said: “When he arrived at Bayer Leverkusen, Alonso asked to be released if any of the clubs he had played for came calling, provided he felt like taking the job.

“He added one more team to that list – Manchester City, as Pep’s eventual replacement. Now it could be Pep who leaves him without a job.”

Guardiola is under contract at Man City until the summer of 2027, but Man City have already identified his replacement.

It is not Alonso, with TEAMtalk’s transfer insider, Dean Jones, reporting on November 27, that Man City view Vincent Kompany as ‘a prime contender’ to succeed Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium.

Kompany is a Man City legend who won the Bundesliga title as the Bayern Munich manager last season.

Meanwhile, reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed whether Xabi Alonso is ready to swap Real Madrid for Liverpool right now.