Real Madrid reach agreement with Xabi Alonso - reports

According to 'Marca', there is already an agreement between the 'Merengue' club and Xabi Alonso for the current Bayer Leverkusen coach to take over after the Club World Cup. The Toulouse native will take part of his trusted staff with him. This puts an end to one of the great soap operas of recent years with the figure of Carlo Ancelotti in the air. The Italian will leave in June for Brazil.

After the Champions League elimination against Arsenal, Real Madrid got down to work to try to close the process of change. He agreed with Ancelotti that his farewell would be after finishing a La Liga that he still aspires to win -all options depend on winning this weekend's 'Clasico'-, but without bitterness. Xabi Alonso was always the first choice, but there was nothing solid beyond conversations to understand where each party stood.

Ancelotti's Madrid will end and Xabi Alonso's will begin, who, according to 'Marca', will sign for three seasons. Alonso has already chosen part of his coaching staff. He will be accompanied by his inseparable Sebas Parrilla as his assistant. He will also be joined by Alberto Encinas, a trusted physical trainer who has been in Germany and was with Barca in the 2011-12 season. This signing leaves in the air the future of Pintus, a key figure for years with Ancelotti and questioned during the last few years due to so many injuries.

Busy summer ahead: Club World Cup and new signings

As part of these negotiations already closed with Xabi, the coach has understood that Madrid does not sign like the rest and that he focuses a lot of the study of his incorporations on players who can give short and long term performance. He will always have a voice to suggest, but it is the club that makes the signings, following a plan that has been in place for many seasons. The Basque accepts it and does not expect a drastic change in the current picture of the Real Madrid squad.

Beyond the arrival of Alexander-Arnold, the plan is to bring in at least two more players: a centre-back and a midfielder. Dean Huijsen, with a release clause approaching 60 million euros, is a very promising choice. The midfielder will depend on the tactical scheme that Xabi has in mind for this new Real Madrid.