Xabi Alonso will begin work with Real Madrid in time for this summer’s Club World Cup, several reports have claimed.
A three-year deal is now being offered to Alonso, who recently announced his upcoming exit from Bayer Leverkusen, following Madrid’s decision to pay a compensation fee ranging from €5m to €10m (£4.2m-£8.4m). Alonso is set to take over the position from Carlo Ancelotti, who is anticipated to become the new head coach of the Brazil national team.
Initially, it was thought that Alonso would not join Madrid until after the Club World Cup this summer, with plans for former manager Santiago Solari to temporarily take the reins during the tournament. However, Cadena COPE was the first to report that Alonso’s entry has been fast-tracked.
Delays in his appointment were attributed to tax-related issues, but Madrid has prioritized bringing Alonso to Spain as quickly as possible. The ex-midfielder has now agreed to meet the club’s requirements.
MARCA state that the Madrid board are giving real importance to his summer’s Club World Cup. The prestige of being the first-ever winner, coupled with the €150m (£126.3m) prize pot, have left Madrid determined to do whatever they can to take home the trophy, and it is accepted that they will have a better chance of winning under Alonso than Solari.
Alonso, for his part, is said to have preferred to watch the Club World Cup from a distance, wary of beginning his Madrid tenure with disappointment given the limited turnaround between this season’s bitterly underwhelming campaign and this summer’s tournament. However, he has agreed to join earlier than desired.
There is an international window at the start of June, after which Alonso will arrive in Spain and immediately get to work preparing for the tournament.
The Club World Cup starts on June 14, just four days after the international window closes. Madrid’s tournament is due to kick off on June 18 in a group-stage clash with Al Hilal.
