Xabi Alonso, the Bayer Leverkusen manager (43), whose move to Real Madrid is highly likely, is said to have already compiled a transfer list.
British media outlet TeamTalk reported on the 10th (Korea time), citing Spanish media Defensa Central, that "Alonso has earmarked Barcelona midfielder Pedri as a key asset for Real Madrid."
Alonso will leave Bayer Leverkusen after this season. Starting next season, he is set to take over Real Madrid from Carlo Ancelotti.
According to reports, Alonso evaluated Pedri as an ideal "asset" for Real Madrid.
Born in 2002, midfielder Pedri joined Barcelona in September 2020. He was immediately registered with the first team.
During his debut season, 2020-2021, he made 37 league appearances at the age of 17, scoring 3 goals and providing 3 assists, establishing himself as a first-team midfielder for Barcelona. That summer, he represented Spain in both Euro 2020 and the Tokyo Olympics, earning the nickname 'Iron Man.'
In January 2025, Barcelona re-signed Pedri until 2030. It is reported that there is a buyout clause of €1 billion (approximately 1.5 trillion won).
Pedri is regarded as the next-generation leader responsible for Barcelona's midfield. He has made 55 official appearances this season, recording 6 goals and 7 assists.
Heading into next season's La Liga, Alonso seems to believe that strengthening the midfield is urgent.
There have been instances of players transferring from Barcelona to Real Madrid. In 2000, Luis Figo made a highly controversial transfer, while Javier Saviola and Luis Milla also donned the Real uniform in 2007 and 1990, respectively. Michael Laudrup and Bernd Schuster also transferred from Barcelona to Real, making their mark.
Meanwhile, Alonso said in a pre-match press conference for the 33rd round of the 2024-2025 Bundesliga against Dortmund on the 10th, "The remaining two matches are my last schedule at Leverkusen," and added, "I decided this after discussing with the club."
He continued, "I informed the players of the news first this morning. I want to say goodbye to the fans during the home game against Dortmund," noting, "The past three years have been an incredible time, almost unbelievable. I want to share that emotion with the fans."
Having taken over as Leverkusen's head coach in October 2022, he made his first steps as a first-team manager, leading the team to a 6th place finish in the Bundesliga in his debut season. In the 2023-2024 season, he achieved an unbeaten title with 28 wins and 6 draws, causing a stir. Under coach Alonso, Leverkusen has seized the Bundesliga title that Bayern Munich held for 11 years.
His coaching career began with the youth team of Real Madrid. After debuting as the head of the U-14 team in 2018, he moved through Real Sociedad's B team before joining Leverkusen.
Leverkusen has already secured second place in the league this season. Coach Alonso seemed to avoid specific comments on future plans. However, the likely next destination is his former team, Real Madrid.
During his playing days, coach Alonso played for Real Madrid from 2009 to 2014. Real Madrid was eliminated in the quarterfinals of this season's UEFA Champions League and is currently in second place in La Liga, along with a Copa del Rey runner-up finish. Current coach Carlo Ancelotti is likely to lead the Brazilian national team after the season ends.
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