Alvaro Arbeloa will have to pulled off one of the most astonishing turnarounds in Real Madrid history to remain in charge come next season. The Spanish coach has replaced Xabi Alonso as caretaker boss with the club expected to seek a permanent replacement in the summer.
Alonso parted ways with Los Blancos on Monday and there are claims that he was dismissed rather than leaving on mutual terms. A disappointing reign was full of drama behind the scenes and that has ultimately led to Madrid looking for a new long-term solution to take the team in a new direction.
Several names have been linked, such as former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca. But there is a candidate who hasn't even been mentioned, yet has made it clear he wants to depart his current club this summer.
Real Madrid could take risk on Premier League boss
Madrid's next manager needs to be one who isn't afraid to put the players in their place. They need a controller who gets his team invested in his ideas and a coach who is clearly going to be in charge for the long run.
That's why Los Blancos shouldn't be ruling Oliver Glasner out of contention given his track record of success. The Austrian has worked with limited resources throughout his managerial career and seems likely to make the step up to an elite team, perhaps as early as this summer.
Glasner has the makings of a successful Madrid manager, galvanising players and making them play to the best of their abilities. His achievement at Crystal Palace can't be ignored, guiding the Eagles to the FA Cup last season, beating Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in the final.
This came after a reign at Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany, taking the Bundesliga side to the Europa League. He is an intriguing option who Florentino Perez should study given he has plenty of interest from other European heavyweights.
There were claims that Bayern Munich were considering Glasner before appointing Vincent Kompany. He is on Manchester United's managerial shortlist as they look for a Ruben Amorim replacement this summer.
Glasner would need to be aligned with Madrid's board, willing to adapt tactically which might be one of his setbacks. He usually uses a three-at-the-back system and while his teams are always well-organized defensively, they don't focus on possession.
Klopp, who is favorite, is known to be an admirer of Glasner, per TalkSPORT. He wanted him at RB Leipzig last summer which speaks volumes given the German could very well be the main target come the end of the season.
Glasner is leaving Palace
Glasner confirmed on Friday (January 16th) that he has informed Palace that he intends to leave the club this summer. There would be no need for Madrid to pay a compensation fee because his contract expires at the end of the season.
The Austrian said (via Fabrizio Romano):
“I already informed the club months ago that I wanted a new challenge.”
The Eagles haven't been at their best this term and crashed out of the FA Cup against English minnows Macclesfield. Clearly his head might be elsewhere as he weighs up his options regarding which club he could be taking over come June.
Glasner is probably not even in Perez's thinking but if Madrid do intend to go with a new philosophy and a coach who is completely different from Alonso he should be on their list. He's overseen 43 wins in 95 games at Palace and could relish working with superstar talent such as Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham.
But Madrid are already looking at the South London outfit ahead of the summer. Their English midfield starlet Adam Wharton is being monitored and there's no better manager to get the best out of the England's 'new Sergio Busquets'.