Real Madrid are in a tough spot heading into the summer transfer window. They have now gone trophyless for a second straight season, and rampant in fighting has taken over the locker room with nobody knowing who they can trust with moles apparently running amok.
In a way, Xabi Alonso will look at the plight of Alvaro Arbeloa, whose destiny also lies outside of Madrid now, with a level of vindication, though Madridistas will remember how poorly Alonso navigated the squad and helped sew the seeds of the issues that are taking place now.
Interest in Alonso as a manager hasn't been as robust as many expected. Even initially, Bayern Munich and Liverpool chose different coaches, and even now, the Red seem to be sticking with Arne Slot despite his issues over rolling the dice on Alonso.
Chelsea are closing in on Xabi Alonso
Chelsea, on the other hand, are very interested in Alonso after the Liam Rosenior experiment quickly imploded. According to a report from The Guardian's Jacob Steinberg, the Blues are optimistic they can strike a deal for the free agent manager after positive early talks, and they think his tactics and philosophy fit the playing style of the current squad.
Xabi Alonso won the Bundesliga title while going undefeated for a Bayer Leverkusen side that had never won a trophy before in their history. That is a massive, massive accomplishment, and Chelsea will feel that they have the best young manager in the world in their sights.
If Chelsea hire Alonso, they have a chance to make Real Madrid look like fools for having a great manager they cast aside within months after failing to support him or help him navigate a locker room unlike they ones he had at Leverkusen.
Real Madrid and president Florentino Perez will argue that Alonso had shown these flaws at Leverkusen before and was not ready to manage an elite squad in European football with the demands of coaching actual superstars. Perez will say that Alonso was not even great tactically for Madrid, failing to beat the likes of Arne Slot and Diego Simeone head to head while even struggling against the lower level sides of La Liga.
Chelsea had a great coach in Enzo Maresca and drove him off with their own incompetence. The rest of their hires in the Todd Boehly era after Thomas Tuchel have been far less inspiring. Alonso is their chance to get things right and make a statement, which would definitely be at Real's expense if it all works out.
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