Xabi Alonso would love to sign Barcelona star at Real Madrid after taking over from Carlo Ancelotti: Reports

Xabi Alonso wants Real Madrid to sign Barcelona's Pedri this summer, according to Defensa Central. Recent reports have suggested that the Spanish manager is close to taking over from Carlo Ancelotti at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Alonso has enjoyed a fantastic run with Bayer Leverkusen since taking charge at the BayArena in 2022. The Spaniard won the Bundesliga and the DFB Pokal last season, and has apparently been identified as the ideal candidate to take Los Blancos forward.

The LaLiga giants have suffered an underwhelming campaign under Ancelotti so far. Real Madrid lost to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de Espana final.

Los Blancos were also undone by the Catalans in the league, and the two sides are all set to lock horns once again on Sunday, May 11, in the league. Real Madrid, though, are already planning for the summer.

Luka Modric's contract expires this summer, and he is set to turn 40 in September. Alonso apparently wants a new face to shore up the midfield before the start of the new season.

Pedri has supposedly emerged as an option for the job. The 22-year-old has been indispensable for Barcelona this season, registering six goals and seven assists from 55 games across competitions.

However, the Spaniard is under contract at Camp Nou until 2030, and prising him away from Camp Nou is next to impossible. Pedri has already rejected Los Blancos in the past, so Alonso could ask the club to find someone of a similar profile instead.

Was a Real Madrid legend close to joining Barcelona in his career?

Real Madrid legend David Beckham has revealed that he was close to joining Barcelona from Manchester United. The Englishman rose through the ranks at Old Trafford before moving to the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2003.

Speaking recently, as cited by SPORT (via Barca Universal), Beckham opened up that he turned down the Catalans to join Los Blancos.

“The funny thing is, Manchester United had sold me to Barcelona first. Peter Kenyon called me during my holiday and told me the club had accepted an offer from Barça," Beckham recalled.

He continued:

"I told them if I was leaving United, I’d only go to Madrid. They had to undo the signing and, a day and a half later, everything was ready for me to sign for Madrid.”

Beckham registered 20 goals and 51 assists from 159 games for Real Madrid in his career.

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Edited by Sudeshna Banerjee