Klopp Eyes Six Summer Signings at Real Madrid, with Guehi and Upamecano Top Targets

Real Madrid's decision to dismiss Xabi Alonso on Monday, following a 3-2 Spanish Super Cup defeat to Barcelona, has set tongues wagging about potential replacements. Now reports suggest the Bernabeu hierarchy is seriously considering Jurgen Klopp for the role—and the German has already begun sketching out his transfer blueprint.

According to Spanish media, Klopp has drawn up a shopping list of half a dozen players he would demand if appointed, signalling his intentions to reshape the squad. The wish list includes two centre-back reinforcements, with Bayern Munich's Dayot Upamecano and Liverpool's Marc Guehi both featuring prominently. Both defenders will be available on free transfers when their current contracts expire this summer.

The former Dortmund boss has also identified Bournemouth's Alex Jimenez as his target to strengthen the left-back position. In midfield, Klopp is keen on Newcastle's Bruno Guimaraes, with Stuttgart's Angelo Stiller lined up as a backup option. To complete the overhaul, he's seeking a world-class right winger, and has reportedly recommended Borussia Dortmund's Karim Adeyemi as another potential recruit.

Sky Germany's Florian Plettenberg confirmed on Tuesday that despite Klopp's substantial Red Bull contract and his stated commitment to that project, the prospect of Real Madrid has captured his imagination. Should Los Blancos make a formal approach, Plettenberg revealed Klopp would give the matter "serious consideration."

Fabrizio Romano has since clarified that senior figures within the Madrid hierarchy do hold Klopp in high regard, though a crucial caveat remains: the former Liverpool manager must first publicly declare his desire to return to the dugout. Currently, Klopp remains focused on his Red Bull responsibilities, and has explicitly stated that Alonso's departure bears no connection to his own future.

When asked about the Alonso news during a ServusTV appearance on Monday, Klopp was characteristically measured. He acknowledged that his phone had indeed rung, though not from Madrid itself. "A few people felt obliged to contact me directly," he noted, before offering his perspective on Real Madrid's situation.

"The fact that someone as talented as Xabi Alonso—someone who's demonstrated genuine coaching excellence over two years at Leverkusen—is forced out after just six months tells you something," Klopp reflected. He pointed to the pressures of modern football, the relentless expectations at the Bernabeu, and the speed with which decisions are made "in the heat of the moment" following a cup final loss.

Klopp was emphatic that Alonso's exit held no bearing on his own thinking. "This has absolutely nothing to do with me," he stressed, adding that he'd simply responded to well-wishers with "various emojis" once the news broke. Whether that remains the case if Real Madrid comes calling with a concrete offer remains to be seen.