Alvaro Arbeloa replaced Xabi Alonso as Real Madrid's caretaker manager last week but there was no clarification from the club on how long his deal would last. The Spaniard made the step up from Castilla to take over until what many expected to be the end of the season.
A shock 3-2 loss to Segunda Division outfit Albacete was the worst way for Arbeloa to start his reign. But his side bounced back in La Liga on Saturday with a 2-0 win over Levante.
Madrid are now just a point behind Barcelona in La Liga with 18 games remaining. He's tasked with trying to beat the Catalans to the title as well as taking Los Blancos back to the Champions League trophy.
Arbeloa's contract length might have been revealed
Arbeloa hasn't commented on the long-term future since his appointment as Madrid's caretaker manager. But that job title suggested he wouldn't be in charge come the summer when planning starts in the transfer window.
According to The Athletic's Mario Cortegana and Guillermo Rai, Madrid declined to give details about the length of Arbeloa's contract. The club described it as "not important."
Arbeloa's close confidants are believed to have claimed that his deal isn't just for this season. If that's the case, that's a surprising turn of events and means the 43-year-old is the man that Florentino Perez's board view as the long-term Alonso replacement.
⚡️Inside Real Madrid
— Mario Cortegana (@MarioCortegana) January 19, 2026
➕Meeting after Albacete's defeat with Arbeloa asking the players to have confidence
➕"He is pushing them hard, but they are accepting it well"
➕Uncertainty about Arbeloa's contract@TheAthleticFChttps://t.co/knJTJcXZv0
That said, he might have signed a contract with certain targets that have to be met such as finishing the season with a trophy. Given that he is also currently described as interim coach doesn't indicate that he is the definite choice to be permanent boss.
Jurgen Klopp's claim makes sense
The contract news over Arbeloa comes amid Jurgen Klopp continuing to downplay replacing Alonso. The former Liverpool manager has been reported as Madrid's top choice to take over at the end of the season.
That might not be the case though as Klopp suggested speculation was just fuelled by the media. He said (via Madrid Xtra):
"Excited that Real Madrid are showing interest in me? NO, because they're NOT really interested, it's just media hype.
I'm consistent and I don't change my mind overnight. Of course, I wouldn't rule anything out completely, but I'm 58 years old and I'm very happy in my position here."
It might well be media hype given Madrid haven't come out and explained Arbeloa's position. If Perez was eager to bring the German to the Bernabeu he'd likely have put the feelers out to see whether the former Borussia Dortmund boss was open to the job.