Alonso in Demand After Madrid Exit: Frankfurt Make Approach, But Liverpool Looms Larger

Xabi Alonso's managerial carousel is already spinning again. Days after departing Real Madrid by mutual consent following Monday's Spanish Super Cup final defeat to Barcelona, the 41-year-old Spaniard has attracted interest from Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt.

According to SportBILD, Frankfurt have initiated talks with Alonso following their sacking of Dino Toppmoller. The club's chief executive, Markus Krosche, is reportedly keen to sit down with the former Liverpool midfielder in person, though whether Alonso would entertain the proposition remains unclear.

Toppmoller was axed after Friday's 3-3 draw at Werder Bremen—the third consecutive game in which Frankfurt surrendered three goals. Their defensive fragility has been alarming: a 6-0 hammering at RB Leipzig in December, a chaotic 4-3 victory at FC Koln, a 4-3 home loss to Union Berlin, a 6-4 win over Borussia Monchengladbach, and a pair of 5-1 Champions League thrashings against Atletico Madrid and Liverpool. They've shipped 39 goals—joint-worst in the division alongside 16th-placed Heidenheim—and sit seventh with seven wins from 18 matches.

Frankfurt are casting their net wide, with Edin Terzic, Marco Rose, and Roger Schmidt also on their radar. But realistically, Alonso won't be parking his car in the Commerzbank-Arena.

His sights will be set far higher. At Real Madrid, Alonso won 20 of his 28 matches, yet internal friction over player power and his uncompromising man-management style—particularly clashes with Vinicius Junior—ultimately sealed his fate. The "mutual consent" exit was Florentino Perez's preferred spin on what amounted to a managerial removal.

The bigger picture: Liverpool. With Arne Slot under mounting pressure at Anfield, Alonso's availability feels like destiny calling. Manchester United remain in the market for a permanent manager following Ruben Amorim's exit, but the Old Trafford job holds little appeal for the Spaniard. PSG, with Luis Enrique's contract expiring this summer, represent another option. Tottenham, too, could enter the conversation if Thomas Franks' position becomes untenable.

Yet Liverpool—where Alonso spent five trophy-laden years as a midfielder—represents the most compelling narrative. His reputation remains unblemished by the Madrid interlude. Anfield's door has never felt more inviting.