Why Bayer Leverkusen Are Powerless to Stop Xabi Alonso Moving to Real Madrid | OneFootball

Bayer Leverkusen will not stand in Xabi Alonso's way should Real Madrid come knocking at his door.

It is no secret that Real Madrid are eyeing Alonso as a possible replacement for Carlo Ancelotti. The Italian manager is on the hot seat after Los Blancos crashed out of the Champions League and could be fired at the end of the season if his team does not win the Copa del Rey and/or La Liga.

Alonso is a prime candidate for the potential job. Not only is the Spaniard a Real Madrid legend, but he also took Bayer Leverkusen to the top of the Bundesliga in just his second year in charge. He is under contract with the German team until 2026, but the club's CEO Fernando Carro confirmed a "gentleman's agreement" between Alonso and Bayer Leverkusen would allow the 43-year-old to return to his former club as early as this summer.

“We have a gentlemen’s agreement that if any of the teams he has played for come, we would sit down to talk and we would not put any impediment,” Carro said.

The agreement would therefore apply not only to Real Madrid, but also to Real Sociedad, Liverpool and Bayern Munich.

“We are a very professional club and we have to be prepared for everything. If at the end there was an interest from another club and he was interested in going to that club, we have a relationship that we would have to talk about it," Carro continued. "It is not our desire, but with him we are clear."

Still, the growing speculation of a possible move to Real Madrid has not stopped Alonso from preparing for the 2025–26 campaign with Bayer Leverkusen. The club is in line for a second place finish in the Bundesliga this season and will be eager to challenge Bayern Munich for the German crown once again next year.

“We are not naïve, but the position of the coach is very important for a club and it is true that we are preparing next season with him. We have followed him working every day. He is fully involved in that preparation,” Carro said.

With Ancelotti still in charge at Real Madrid, it is no surprise that Alonso remains focused on Bayer Leverkusen. No official moves have been made in Spain regarding Ancelotti's future, but there is little room for error moving forward. Should Los Blancos suffer a poor defeat to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday, Apr. 26, changes in leadership could be imminent for the Spanish giants.

“The decision has to be in the next three or four weeks, not much longer," Carro said. "There is nothing now, but in the next three or four weeks we will know if there is any tectonic change in the club,”

Bayer Leverkusen's gentleman's agreement with Alonso could just give the Spaniard the green light to take over the biggest club in the world in just a few weeks.