Xabi Alonso responds to Tottenham & Real Madrid manager links
Xabi Alonso has pledged his future to current club Bayer Leverkusen until at least the end of next season amid links with managerial positions at Tottenham and former side Real Madrid.
Having spent three years in charge of Real Sociedad B, Alonso was appointed by Leverkusen in October following the club’s poor start to the season.
It marked a return to German football for the retired Spain midfielder after previously winding down his playing career during a two-year stint with Bayern Munich.
Leverkusen had won only one of their first eight Bundesliga games of the campaign and were just one place above the bottom of the table when Alonso arrived. But he has overseen 13 wins from 22 league games since, with the team leaping from a relegation battle up to sixth place.
Meanwhile, Leverkusen are also through to the semi-finals of the Europa League.
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That kind of impact hasn’t gone unnoticed. The 41-year-old has been linked with Real Madrid should Carlo Ancelotti accept ongoing overtures from Brazil, while 90min has already reported that manager-less Tottenham have him on their list of potential candidates.
But speaking about his situation, Alonso said he isn’t ready to move on.
“I've been in football for many years, rumours are normal but we [at Leverkusen] still have a lot to achieve,” he said. “That's why my head is 100 percent here for the last few months. And my head is also 100 percent here for next season.”
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