Xabi Alonso warned £40m Real Madrid star ‘will probably go to Man City’

Real Madrid forward Rodrygo has been backed to join Manchester City in the summer transfer window, as a former Liverpool defender has warned Xabi Alonso about going to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Madrid are about to bring down the curtain on a hugely disappointing season. After suffering defeats to Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and Barcelona in the final of the Copa del Rey, Los Blancos are now on the brink of losing their LaLiga crown. Even though Madrid won the 2024 FIFA Intercontinental Cup, it is just a mere consolation for a club that prides itself on winning major trophies season after season.

A managerial change at Madrid is imminent, with Xabi Alonso leaving Bayer Leverkusen to replace Carlo Ancelotti at the Bernabeu.

There are likely to be changes in the playing squad, too, with Rodrygo among the players who could leave.

Signed from Santos in 2019 for £39.5million, the Brazil international forward has developed into one of the best players in the world during his time at Madrid so far.

The 24-year-old has won LaLiga thrice, the Copa del Rey once and the Champions League on two occasions with Madrid so far in his career.

However, Rodrygo has been limited to 22 starts in LaLiga this season following the arrival of Kylian Mbappe last summer.

Manchester City and Liverpool are among the clubs who are keen on a summer deal for Rodrygo, and former Anfield defender Markus Babbel has backed the forward to move to the Etihad Stadium.

Babbel has also warned Alonso that he could find it tough to be successful as Madrid head coach despite beating the mighty Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title as Bayer Leverkusen boss last season.

The pundit told LeoVegas: “He (Alonso) is a fantastic manager and did a fantastic job for Bayer Leverkusen. The way they play football is amazing and really fantastic but hard work.

“For me, I don’t have it in my mind that Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr, Mbappe and Rodrygo, who I think will probably go to Manchester City, but for the other three, I don’t believe they will work hard.

“There are too many egos. They want to win games but not as a team and that is why they haven’t achieved anything this season.”

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Xabi Alonso sent Real Madrid ‘big dogs’ warning

Babbel, who won the Bundesliga thrice with Bayern and the FA Cup once with Liverpool, has also warned Alonso that he will face pressure from Madrid president Florentino Perez to play all the big players.

The pundit has noted that Alonso’s Bayer worked hard, adding that the former Liverpool and Madrid midfielder will have to get the likes of Mbappe and Vinicius Junior to buy into his style.

Babbel said: “They went out in the Champions League because you need a team and if you aren’t a team then (you won’t win). PSG are in the final and have a massive chance to win this title because they are working as a team.

“You have seen Mbappe leave PSG and now they are in the final of the Champions League. They have a massive chance to win it because they are working as a team.

“There is no player who is not running for his teammate and if you see Real Madrid, it’s a shadow of the past. Even with the big guys like Toni Kroos and Casemiro, they were working hard to win a trophy.

“The funny thing is I watched them play against Barcelona and it was the first time Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe played together and they still lost. Xabi has a great style of football but at Leverkusen, everyone was bringing their best for the team.

“Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Granit Xhaka, there were so many players who played at a different level, and this could be the biggest challenge for Xabi Alonso if someone is not doing what he wants… is he kicking Bellingham or Mbappe out if they aren’t doing what he wants? That will be the question.

“If you don’t play the big dogs at Real Madrid, sometimes the president can say, ‘this is not what we want’. We want to see them on the pitch, and you are the manager, you have to work with them. That will be the big question, and they have to change a bit in the team as the balance in the team is not good.”

Latest Real Madrid news: Chelsea eye star, Alexander-Arnold fee

Chelsea have joined the race for one of Madrid’s best players, according to a report.

It has been further claimed that Madrid are willing to let the star leave.

Liverpool have told Real Madrid how much they want to let Trent Alexander-Arnold go early.

Although Madrid have already struck a deal with Alexander-Arnold, they are keen to have the England international right-back in their squad for the Club World Cup, which starts in June, according to the Spanish media.

One of Chelsea’s best players is said to be ‘crazy’ about Madrid and is keen on a summer switch to the Santiago Bernabeu.

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