Real Madrid News
Real Madrid monitoring former midfielder’s managerial tenure for the future – report
Former midfielder and current Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso is being monitored by Real Madrid as part of the candidacy for the future role of the team’s first team manager, reports Rodrigo Faez while writing for ESPN.
The 40-year-old was appointed Leverkusen’s manager on October 5 following the dismissal of Gerardo Seoane. The Eternal Bridesmaids, as Leverkusen are known for famously missing out on a potential treble in 2002, went on to win their first game under Alonso, beating Schalke 4-0 at home.
Before the Spaniard’s appointment, the team from German Bundesliga had tallied a mere five points from their first eight games of the league. They did lose their Champions League tie against Porto, but early signs under Alonso have been extremely positive.
As for Real Madrid, they are of the opinion that Alonso could be a perfect fit for the managerial role in the future.
That is mostly because, first, he has had the opportunity to play under some of the finest names in the sport, including Rafa Benitez, Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola.
Second, he remains a familiar face in the city of Madrid, having spent five successful seasons with Real Madrid and is also loved by the fans to bit.
In 2018, while completing his UEFA-accredited coaching course, he also managed Real Madrid’s U-14 team before assuming the role with Real Sociedad B in 2019.
In only his second season, Sociedad B earned the promotion to the Segunda Division. Towards the end of the 2021-22 Segunda Division, however, the team was relegated back to Primera Division RFEF.
The current idea for Real Madrid is to observe his style of coaching and see how he develops as a manager, especially since the job at Leverkusen is his first assignment in top-flight football. If everything goes their way, he will indeed be considered in future.
Manchester City have now joined the ever-growing list of admirers for Celta Vigo midfielder and Real Madrid target Gabri Veiga, reports Jack Gaughan of the Daily Mail.
The 20-year-old midfielder has emerged as one of the breakout stars of La Liga this season, having impressed with his goalscoring abilities from the centre of the park. Indeed, the youngster has notched up nine goals in La Liga and his exploits have made the giants of Europe sit up and take notice.
Real Madrid are said to be interested in Veiga’s services heading into the summer. The Merengues have Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, and Dani Ceballos on expiring contracts and it is unlikely that all three will be renewed, especially with Jude Bellingham being on the agenda.
In case of Modric and Kroos, even if they stay, it will likely be for only a season at the most. Hence, Los Blancos could require more than one central midfielder come summer, with Veiga emerging as an option.
The 20-year-old was also attracting interest from the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Atletico Madrid. Now, Manchester City have also jumped on the bandwagon of clubs interested in Veiga’s services.
The Cityzens, who are battling Real Madrid for Bellingham as well, are set to lose Ilkay Gundogan in the summer when his contract expires. Meanwhile, Bernardo Silva’s future is also far from certain, thus necessitating the signing of another midfielder.
Veiga has a release clause worth €40 million in his contract with Celta Vigo, which should not be a problem for either Real Madrid or Manchester City.
Celta Vigo president Carlos Mourino recently admitted that the midfielder could leave the club in the summer, saying:
“We don’t want to sell Gabri Veiga, but they are going to buy him from us. And we can’t do anything there. We know some of his offers and it is impossible to reach them.
“There are several teams behind Gabri. Real Madrid? They haven’t asked us, we don’t know if they will have called the player. Of the top 10 in the Premier League, four have asked about him.”
It will certainly be interesting to see whether Real Madrid are prepared to go all out for Veiga’s signing or decide to entirely focus on their pursuit of Bellingham.
