Real Madrid News
Florentino Perez welcomes Xabi Alonso at Real Madrid – ‘Today you are returning home’
After announcing his appointment on Sunday, Real Madrid presented Xabi Alonso as their new manager at the club facilities earlier today.
The former midfielder and club legend replaces Carlo Ancelotti at the helm of affairs, having signed a three-year contract until 2028.
Having tasted success at Bayer Leverkusen, Alonso will now be hoping to lead Real Madrid to great heights, starting with the FIFA Club World Cup coming up next month.
Florentino Perez welcomes Alonso
Alonso signed his contract with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and posed for pictures before the official presentation ceremony got underway.
After playing clips of the club icon’s best moments as a player at the Bernabeu and his stint as Leverkusen manager, Perez took centre stage and welcomed Alonso back to the club with a touching speech.
Kicking things off, the Real Madrid chief went on in detail about what it means to represent Real Madrid, saying:
“Madridismo is something that is nourished every day. Real Madrid belongs to the hearts of the people, because this crest represents those values that are worked on in this Ciudad del Real Madrid every day.
“The values that have been necessary to achieve a record that is difficult to match and to have, in recent years, one of the most successful periods in our history. The strength of this club is to continue working to make the dreams of this Madridismo come true.”
👕 #WelcomeXabi pic.twitter.com/AioHOObSXI
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) May 26, 2025
He then welcomed Alonso, saying: “That is why today is a very special day. A coach has arrived who is one of the best in the world and who knows what Real Madrid is, what this shirt means. Today, we welcome one of our own: Xabi Alonso.
Perez then went on to recount Alonso’s time at Real Madrid as a player and his achievements, while expressing hope that he can lead the team to great success as manager.
“Dear Xabi, welcome to your home, welcome to Real Madrid. I am sure that today you are living a very exciting moment. You showed it when you arrived in 2009 to defend this shirt. You won six titles that are already part of the history of Real Madrid,” he said.
“You are also one of the great legends of the Spanish national team, with whom you won the 2010 World Cup and two European Championships. But today you are returning home.”
Touching on his managerial career, Perez added: “We all knew what your destiny was going to be when you sat down in 2018 to coach the Infantil A team. You have achieved something that is already German football history: winning the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen.
“This path has made you one of the greatest figures in football and one of the best coaches in the world. Today, you return to Madrid as first-team coach to face one of the greatest challenges of your life.”
One of the main objectives for Real Madrid this summer was to bring in a new central midfielder capable of controlling the tempo and dictating the play from the middle.
A move for Rodri was in the works before the Spain captain decided to sign for FC Barcelona. The Merengues assessed several other options, but ended up not signing any player, with Jose Mourinho deciding to use Bernardo Silva in the double pivot.
One of the midfielders that Real Madrid were looking at as an option was Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace.
The England international has been on the club’s radar for a while now, but the Premier League club never opened the door for a summer departure.
Wharton could be on the market in 2027
However, now, according to The Guardian (h/t Bernabeu Digital), That stance could change next year, as that Palace would be prepared to consider selling Wharton during the next summer transfer window.
As mentioned already, Real Madrid have closely followed Wharton’s situation throughout the summer, although the club ultimately decided against making any further additions to their midfield.
Manchester City and Chelsea also showed serious interest in signing the England international during the summer. However, Crystal Palace were unwilling to sell, effectively ruling out a move for the midfielder.
But it appears that they could open the doors for Wharton to leave in the summer of 2027, potentially paving the way for Real Madrid to make a move.
Real Madrid continue to monitor Wharton
Real Madrid are expected to keep a close eye on Wharton’s progress ahead of the 2027 market. Should they decide they need another high-quality midfielder, the 22-year-old could once again emerge as a candidate.
Manchester City may be less likely to return for Wharton after strengthening their midfield significantly this summer.
Chelsea, however, could remain a potential competitor after failing to add a player in the position during the latest window.
For now, Wharton will remain at Crystal Palace, but the club’s willingness to consider a sale next summer means the midfielder could become a realistic option for Real Madrid in 2027.
