Real Madrid News
Real Madrid managerial target signs new contract until 2026 with current club
With Carlo Ancelotti’s contract at Real Madrid set to expire next year, the club are understood to be already preparing for life after the Italian tactician.
Even though it is not entirely ruled out that Ancelotti stays at the Santiago Bernabeu beyond the upcoming season, there is a strong possibility that the veteran manager joins the Brazilian national team.
As such, Los Blancos have been making preparations for that scenario and have identified former midfielder Xabi Alonso as their primary candidate.
Alonso signs new contract at Bayer Leverkusen
However, Real Madrid might have been dealt a blow in their plans for now as Alonso has signed a new contract with his current club, Bayer Leverkusen, committing his future to the German outfit until 2026, they have confirmed officially.
Alonso took over the reins at the BayArena last season when Leverkusen were in dire straits, but he led them out of the troubles and guided the team to the UEFA Europa League semi-finals and a top-six finish in Bundesliga.
🤩 The coach stays! 🤝#Bayer04 have agreed a two-year extension to the contract with head coach Xabi #Alonso. The Spaniard’s new contract runs to 30 June 2026. ⚫️🔴 pic.twitter.com/ARzUdpVpxa
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) August 4, 2023
Real Madrid were impressed by Alonso’s work in his first year in Bundesliga and saw him as the ideal man to take over from Ancelotti.
After all, the Spaniard had spent time at the Bernabeu as a player and even coached the club’s youth teams before starting his managerial career at the highest level.
Alonso’s previous contract would have expired in 2024, making it ideal for Real Madrid to swoop in if Ancelotti left.
But the former midfielder has added two more years to his deal and Los Blancos would now have to negotiate his release with Leverkusen if they wish to appoint him next summer.
Aurelien Tchouameni has had an exciting start to his career at Real Madrid. Since joining the club for almost €80 million last summer, the young Frenchman has now become a pivotal figure in Real Madrid’s midfield unit.
However, prior to his move to Santiago Bernabeu, the midfielder was closely linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
In a recent interview, Tchouameni opened up on his links to PSG but revealed his decision to join Real Madrid.
Aurelien Tchouameni on PSG links
Talking about speculations linking him to PSG, Tchouameni said (h/t Madrid Zone), “PSG? Frankly, I thought about it. It’s a very big European club, we want the French clubs to succeed.”
“But honestly, when Real Madrid calls you, it’s very complicated to say no,” Tchouameni added.
The midfielder was linked with a move to PSG during his time at AS Monaco. Les Parisiens wanted to sign the youngster as part of their plans to reinforce the midfield unit.
Tchouameni, though, ended up opting for a move to Real Madrid, which turned out to be a prudent decision from the midfielder’s end.
Tchouameni’s career at Real Madrid
Aurelien Tchouameni made a total of 50 competitive appearances during his maiden season at Real Madrid.
Although the Frenchman was not entirely a first-team regular in Carlo Ancelotti’s setup, his stature in the team is expected to grow in the coming years.
Especially as Toni Kroos and Luka Modric move on at the end of the season, there is scope for Tchouameni to become a first-team regular in the Real Madrid midfield in the years to come.
The former AS Monaco starlet has already played a crucial role in the starting eleven so far this season and it is only going to continue as the season progresses.
