Real Madrid have had a successful three-year partnership with legendary Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti in his second spell in charge of the club. He has won 10 titles, and could win more by the end of this season as he challenges for all three major competitions.
Real Madrid are third in the league, and sit with an advantage in the round of 16 of the Champions League as well as the semi-finals of the Copa Del Rey.
However, there is a possibility that despite these accomplishments, Ancelotti does not sit in the dugout come the summer of 2025.
According to The Athletic, Real Madrid have held talks with Bayer Leverkusen's Xabi Alonso, who is easily one of the best managers in world football.
The report says that Ancelotti is fully aware of that, and will still continue at Real Madrid for as long as they would let him. He has no aspirations of leaving the club. He is genuinely happy in Madrid, and has publicly and privately talked about staying at the club for many more years.
There is a genuine possibility that Alonso takes over next season, but if not, he has been earmarked as Ancelotti's replacement down the line either way, which is why he continued to stay at Leverkusen for another season, despite interest from Bayern Munich and Liverpool - his two former clubs.
A short-term solution for Ancelotti, as said in the report, would be to win either La Liga or Champions League, as Florentino Perez has rarely sacked any manager in his new tenure who has achieved either of the two goals.
Alonso is the next best thing in football management, and it would be a brilliant treat to the eyes of all Real Madrid fans if he is to take over from Ancelotti at one point.
However, it is tough for me to imagine Perez actually sacking Ancelotti if he wins one of the two big titles. Either way, though, one thing is clear: whether it is in the summer or sometime after that, Alonso is very likely to become Real Madrid's coach one day.