Xavi Alonso's potential release clause revealed as Real Madrid find Ancelotti replacement

Real Madrid will have to pay a huge release clause to sign Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso as manager this summer, as speculations surround manager Carlo Ancelotti’s future.

Madrid have been made known of the asking price for Xabi Alonso as they aim to secure a replacement for Ancelotti after last night’s Champions League disaster.

Alonso has been heavily tipped as the favourite to replace Carlo Ancelotti as the manager of Real Madrid, especially following the Spanish giants’ humiliating 5-1 quarter-final defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League.

However, BILD reports (h/t Football Espana) that Los Blancos will have to pay a double-digit figure to Bayer Leverkusen to sign Alonso before his current deal, valid until June 2026, runs out.

It is being speculated that Alonso has an agreement with Leverkusen CEO Fernando Cerro to allow him to leave for Real Madrid, but that move will not come cheap – the German club will demand at least €10m as his release clause.

The Spanish champions are likely to negotiate a cut-price, given their history of reluctance to pay large fees for managers.

The timing, with the Club World Cup approaching, adds urgency to the decision, as Ancelotti keeps being linked with the Brazil national team job as well.

According to reports from Cadena SER, an intermediary from the Confederation of Brazilian Football (CBF) was spotted in the stands of the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, fueling rumours of a possible managerial shake-up

That said, should Madrid sign Alonso, he will have just a 24-day window between Madrid’s final La Liga fixture and the start of the Club World Cup. Considering that, the majority of the players will be expected to be on national duty, giving Alonso little to no time to work with the squad.

Bayer Leverkusen will demand at least €10m as his release clause for Alonso(Image credit: Getty Images)

Speculation surrounding a potential managerial change at Madrid has intensified in recent days.

Additional reports have suggested that former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp could potentially be lured by the prospects of managing the reigning European winners, should the opportunity arise.

Leverkusen’s sporting director hinted last month that Alonso could remain at the BayArena for another season.