Despite a start to the season in which they have left much to be desired, Bayer Leverkusen are still delighted with Xabi Alonso. Logical, since it was the San Sebastian native who gave them their first Bundesliga title in their history. An achievement that has put the Spanish coach on the radar of the continent's big clubs, with Real Madrid and Manchester City being the most interested in signing him.

And the fact is that the benches of both institutions could suffer the departures of Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola at the end of the season. The terrible performance of the Merengues this season has put the Italian's position on the 'tightrope', while the contract of the Sampedor native expires in June 2025 and his renewal with the 'skyblue' team is a question mark.

For this reason, both Real Madrid and City have set their sights on Alonso to take the reins of their teams, and there were even rumours of a possible agreement between the coach and the White House. However, Xabi's agent, Iñaki Ibáñez, denied this information in 'Marca', where he said that "there was never any talk with Real Madrid. We didn't talk, we haven't talked."

Xabi Alonso defines the date on which he will make his decision

In this sense, the aforementioned source said that, as of today, neither the aspirins nor the coach have made a decision regarding his future. If everything remains according to the former midfielder's plan, the next step in his career will be defined in March, with time to plan the roadmap to follow once his future is determined.

At the moment, the only reality is that Alonso is linked to Leverkusen until June 30, 2026, and until a concrete decision is made about his possible departure from Germany, all options are on the table. Meanwhile, Madrid and City are waiting in the shadows for their opportunity, although everything indicates that it would be the Whites who would have the lead in the 'bid' for Xabi if he ends up leaving the BayArena.