Manchester City issued with major Xabi Alonso update amid Pep Guardiola future clarity | OneFootball

Xabi Alonso has reportedly set a date on his exit from Bayer Leverkusen in a move that is likely to put potential suitors, including Manchester City, on high alert.

Manchester City have been facing several weeks of contractual limbo when it came to their own manager Pep Guardiola, with the Catalan coach taking his time over whether to extend his stay at the club or leave upon the expiry of his contract at the end of the ongoing season.

With officials within the Premier League champions giving the 53-year-old the time and space to make a decision without any pressure from his employers, Guardiola has now come to a conclusion that has certainly been met with huge relief from those associated with the club.

It was widely reported on Tuesday night that the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich tactician would be extending his Manchester City agreement by a further one-year, with the option of an additional 12 months.

And that decision and prolonged stay for Manchester City’s greatest-ever coach will likely come as a huge boost to those seeking one of the Premier League champions’ candidates to replace Guardiola.

According to the information of Eurosport in Spain, Xabi Alonso will leave Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the ongoing season, despite his existing contractual agreement running until June 2026.

Despite previous reports pointing towards City leading the chase for the Spaniard, Eurosport claim that Alonso’s destination ‘seems clear’ in succeeding Carlo Ancelotti as Real Madrid’s next head coach for the 2025/26 campaign onwards.

However, the report stresses that it is also not ruled out that Xabi Alonso could end up at Bayern Munich if Vincent Kompany’s performance as head coach at the Allianz Arena is not satisfactory.

From the exit process side of matters for Alonso, it is claimed that he has already informed several players in the Bayer Leverkusen dressing room of his decision to leave the Bundesliga champions at the end of this season.

Reports covering Manchester City’s own pursuit of extending Pep Guardiola’s stay at the Etihad Stadium have insisted that the club have not made any approaches to coaches from across the European game, instead retaining admiration for possible candidates.

One name that was widely circulated as a candidate of interest to the Premier League champions was recently-appointed Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim, amid City’s successful pursuit of his close friend and Sporting’s director of football, Hugo Viana.

The Portugal official will replace Txiki Begiristain as Manchester City’s sporting director in the summer of 2025, and will oversee the next phase of the Etihad Stadium’s development and future squad picture.