Tottenham blow as ‘top manager contender’ is ‘preferred’ over Real Madrid icon to replace Ancelotti

According to reports, Tottenham are interested in Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso but he is ‘in the sights’ of La Liga giants Real Madrid.

have been searching for a new manager since Antonio Conte was sacked in March. Ryan Mason is currently in charge on an interim basis but he is expected to be replaced before next season.

The Premier League club have considered several targets, including Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique.

The Liverpool legend previously had a spell as manager of Real Sociedad’s B team and he took over at Bayer Leverkusen in October 2022.

The 41-year-old has done a superb job over the last couple of months. Under him, Leverkusen have won 17 of their last 32 games across all competitions. He has lifted them up to sixth in the Bundesliga and they are in the Europa League semi-finals.

Alonso’s recent achievements have not gone unnoticed. German journalist Christian Falk is reporting that Leverkusen ‘will have cause for worry’ if Carlo Ancelotti leaves Real Madrid to become Brazil’s new manager.

The inexperienced head coach is ‘in the sights’ of Real Madrid’ as Ancelotti’s potential successor.

‘May 25 could be a significant date for Bayer Leverkusen. It’s the Thursday before the last Bundesliga game of the season, and by that point, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti should have decided whether he wants to become Brazil’s national team coach,’ Falk wrote for Caught Offside.

‘”If he doesn’t answer by then, we’ll activate plan B,” Ednaldo Rodrigues, the Brazilian football federation’s president, announced.

‘What does Leverkusen have to do with it? Very simply, if Ancelotti agrees to manage the Seleção, Bayer will have cause to worry because Los Blancos have their former player, Xabi Alonso, in their sights as his successor and are following his every move. Leverkusen had planned to work with Alonso long-term, to see him develop their young talent and then reap the fruits of his labour.’

Falk adds Real Madrid legend Raul has been considered ‘next in line’ to manage the club but Perez ‘would prefer’ Alonso.

‘Within the club, their former goalscorer Raul is considered the crown prince and next in line for the Santiago Bernabeu hot-seat, however, Perez believes that Alonso has developed much quicker and would prefer him to take over from Don Carlo if that scenario came to pass.’