Real Madrid Under-19 manager Álvaro Arbeloa has hinted at the imminent appointment of his close friend Xabi Alonso as first-team boss.
Carlo Ancelotti will step down this summer to take charge of the Brazil national team and, while Alonso’s move to the Santiago Bernabéu has not yet been formally confirmed, it is widely expected to be announced before this summer’s Club World Cup.
With his own exit from Leverkusen already confirmed, Alonso took to social media to post a farewell message after the team’s final game of the season.
Arbeloa, who played a total of 262 games alongside Alonso across their shared spells with Liverpool, Madrid and the Spanish national team, offered a clear hint towards the manager’s next move in his reply.
“Congratulations, trufas,” he wrote on Instagram, referencing a nickname which began during their time together at Liverpool. “You’ve only just begun and you’re already history. Your home awaits.”
Dropping the biggest hint of all, Arbeloa finished his message to Alonso with a white heart emoji.
Arbeloa has worked his way up through the ranks of Madrid’s youth system over the past five years and is set to reunite with close friend Alonso, who is expected to take charge of the La Liga side at the Club World Cup this summer.
A three-year contract is thought to be on the table for Alonso, whose squad has already been bolstered by the signing of center back Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth.
Liverpool right back Trent Alexander-Arnold is also believed to have agreed to join on a free transfer, with the two clubs currently negotiating a deal which would bring the England international over to Spain in time for this summer’s inaugural tournament.