Xabi Alonso would “be delighted” to return to Real Madrid

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The Xabi Alonso managerial story has taken another fascinating turn, and it is one that adds significant complexity to Liverpool’s pursuit of the man many at Anfield believe is the only candidate capable of restoring the club to the summit of English football.Reports from Spain this week have revealed that while Alonso is very much available and actively being courted by Liverpool — with the Reds having already contacted Real Madrid to make inquiries about his time at the club — the Spaniard himself harbours a deep desire to one day return to the Bernabeu.The conditions for that return, however, do not currently exist.To understand the full picture, it is necessary to understand what happened at Real Madrid.Alonso arrived from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2025 carrying the weight of enormous expectation.At Leverkusen he had been nothing short of extraordinary, guiding the club to an unbeaten Bundesliga title in 2023-24, their first ever, winning 28 consecutive league games without defeat, and establishing himself as the most tactically sophisticated young coach in European football.He was the manager of the moment, and Real Madrid moved decisively to bring him in to begin a new project.It did not work.According to reports from Defensa Central, Florentino Pérez has been left “very disappointed” with how Alonso’s tenure ended, describing a manager who lost control of a dressing room filled with powerful egos and lacked the institutional backing to impose his authority.Alonso himself has privately admitted to close associates that he arrived “at the wrong time” — inheriting a squad already entering crisis from Ancelotti’s final season, without the midfield reinforcements he needed, and without the full confidence of the club hierarchy.When Real Madrid suffered a Spanish Super Cup defeat to Barcelona, Alonso’s position became untenable.He left in January 2026 after just months in the role.That exit explains why Liverpool’s recent approach, reported by AS director José Félix Díaz and confirmed by multiple sources, took the form of a call to Valdebebas rather than a direct approach to Alonso himself.Before committing to one of the most significant managerial appointments in the club’s modern history, FSG wanted to understand exactly what happened in Madrid.What they heard, a story of structural dysfunction, player power, and a mismatch between a progressive coach and an unprepared environment, likely told them that what failed at the Bernabeu was the context, not the man.The Liverpool context is very different.Alonso would arrive with genuine authority, a clear rebuilding mandate, and a club whose infrastructure, despite the turbulence of this season, remains among the strongest in England.The task is enormous.From last season’s title-winning 88 points and 86 Premier League goals, Liverpool have slipped to 59 points with two games remaining this campaign, a drop of 30 points year-on-year.But there is money to spend, a world-class training facility, and a fanbase that remains one of the most powerful forces in world football when properly energised.As for his desire to return to the Bernabeu one day — the reports are clear that the feeling is genuine.When Florentino Pérez is no longer president and the squad has been overhauled, Alonso “would be delighted” to return and leave the positive legacy he was unable to create during his truncated first stint.That long-term ambition, however, does nothing to block a move to Anfield now.The Bernabeu door is firmly closed while Pérez remains in charge.Liverpool’s door, meanwhile, appears to be opening wider with every passing day.Alonso wants to manage at the highest level.Liverpool, Chelsea are among the highest level clubs available to him this summer.The only remaining question is whether FSG are willing to make the decision before someone else does. Real Madrid Xabi Alonso