Real Madrid chiefs will keep a keen eye on Xabi Alonso's progress at Bayer Leverkusen as they view him as a manager who could potentially occupy the Santiago Bernabeu dugout in the future, according to reports.
Liverpool icon Alonso, 40, took up his first senior managerial position in early October, when he was appointed Leverkusen boss on a deal until 2024. The German club endured a dismal start to the season, earning just five points from their first eight Bundesliga games before Gerardo Seoane was sacked.
Alonso got off to a fine start with the Westphalian club, thrashing Schalke 4-0 before he was brought back down to earth with a 3-0 Champions League defeat by Porto on Wednesday. The former Spain midfielder called time on his decorated playing career in 2017 and worked his way up the ranks in his homeland.
Following his stint with Bayern Munich, he returned to Real Madrid - where he spent five years as a player - to manage their under-14 side. Alonso then took the role of Real Sociedad B boss and led them to promotion to La Liga 2 - Spain's second tier - last year, marking their return to the division after 60 years away.
There is plenty of interest in how one of the greatest midfielders of his generation will take to life in the managerial hot seat, and Real Madrid are among the many clubs keeping tabs on the situation. That is according to ESPN, which reports Los Blancos president Florentino Perez and Co. believe Alonso fits the profile of a future Real Madrid manager.
Speaking after the midweek defeat by Porto - which leaves Leverkusen bottom of Champions League Group B - Alonso was keen to stress the result was a "lesson" for him and his players.
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He said: "We have to analyse the game, come back tomorrow and move on. Today there is pain, but that's football. Today is a lesson for us. We could see today that the small mistakes can be fatal in the Champions League. It's hard for me to talk about the result because I think we didn't deserve it."
Up next for Leverkusen is a trip to Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday afternoon as they aim to haul themselves away from the Bundesliga relegation zone.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, are unbeaten in La Liga and host bitter El Clasico rivals Barcelona on Sunday. Victory over the Catalans will see Carlo Ancelotti's defending champions reclaim top spot in the division, but they will need to put in a better performance than the one which resulted in a 1-1 draw with Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday.
