Real Madrid continue to make progress towards the post-Carlo Ancelotti era, and have agreed terms with Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso. For some time it has been an open secret that Los Blancos wanted Alonso to succeed Ancelotti, and his arrival draws ever closer this summer.
Earlier this week Ancelotti reached an agreement over his exit this summer with Real Madrid, as he looks set to become Brazil coach this summer. Alonso had a clause in his contract with Leverkusen allowing him to leave for one of his former clubs, and there was little doubt over his desire to take the job.
According to Marca, Alonso and Real Madrid agreed terms on a deal in the aftermath of their Champions League elimination at the hands of Arsenal. He will sign a three-year deal at the Santiago Bernabeu, keeping him there until 2028 if all goes well. This is backed up by Matteo Moretto, with Leverkusen now looking into a new coach.
El Real Madrid ya tiene un acuerdo verbal con Xabi Alonso hace varios días y lo único que se espera es que todas las comunicaciones se realicen en la forma y el momento adecuados.
Carlo Ancelotti dejará el Real Madrid a final de temporada, la decisión ya está tomada. https://t.co/gpYa3ngFWh
— Matteo Moretto (@MatteMoretto) May 9, 2025
Coming with him will be assistant manager Sebas Parrilla, who began working with Alonso during their time together in the Real Madrid academy. Fitness coach Alberto Encinas will also make the move from Germany to the Spanish capital with them. Goalkeeping coach Luis Llopis will continue at Real Madrid, but there is less certainty over the future of Antonio Pintus, the head of their conditioning department, who has received plenty of criticism over the last year.
The main doubt in recent weeks had been whether Alonso would arrive before or after the Club World Cup in June and July. Real Madrid do not want the competition to be dismissed, and were interested in having Ancelotti in charge for it. With his commitment to Brazil advancing though, it looks as if it will indeed by Santiago Solari who takes over on an interim basis before Alonso arrives.
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Tottenham Hotspur are focused on signing Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest, despite the delays. According to TBR Football, Manchester City were interested in signing the 25-year-old midfielder as well, but he has already informed them that he wishes to join Tottenham instead. Manchester City have now moved on to other targets. The development will come as a huge boost for Tottenham. It will be interesting to see if they can convince Nottingham Forest to get the deal across the line now. The midfielder was excellent for Nottingham Forest last season, scoring seven goals and picking up 10 assists in the Premier League. He could prove to be a useful acquisition for Tottenham, who need more creativity and technical ability in the final third. Tottenham need Morgan Gibbs-White Tottenham need to improve their squad if they want to do well in the league and the Champions League next season. Signing talented players like Gibbs-White will help them match up to elite clubs. The 25-year-old is capable of slotting into multiple midfield roles, and he will add goals and creativity to the side. James Maddison can be quite inconsistent at times, and Tottenham need more depth in that area of the pitch. Having another top-quality creator would be ideal. Can Spurs convince Nottingham Forest? Initially, there were rumours that Tottenham were prepared to trigger the £60 million exit clause in his contract, but Nottingham Forest are unhappy with the leak of the confidential information regarding his clause, and they are planning legal action against the north London club. It will be interesting to see if the two clubs can work out their differences and finalise the transfer. The player is keen for the move to go through, and Nottingham Forest will not want to hold onto an unhappy player.
Since taking over as the general manager of the Las Vegas Raiders, John Spytek and Raiders Head Coach, Pete Carroll, have emphasized how critical it will be for them to establish a new culture for their team. After years of subpar play, the Raiders needed to improve their culture equally as much as they needed to improve their roster. Spytek wasted no time significantly improving the Raiders' roster, adding Geno Smith and Ashton Jeanty this offseason. Although a culture change usually takes more than offseason, the Raiders may have expedited the process by releasing veteran defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. The organization and Wilkins were not on the same page in regard to his rehab, pushing the Raiders to make a drastic move. While drastic, the move appears to align with Spytek's intended composition of the Raiders' roster. At the NFL Combine months before Wilkins' recent release, the Raiders' general manager explained what he would take into consideration when assembling the Raiders' roster. While Spytek likely figured Wilkins would be part of the team at the time, his words rang true following the veteran defensive tackle's release. “I think we're going to have a lot of positive energy. The guys that love to compete and play with passion are going to have a chance at our place. And the guys that maybe don't have that love of the game, they like it, it's a means to an end, there probably won't be as many places or spaces for them at our place," Spytek said. "I think we want to set the tone with our film. When people watch a week or two out for our games coming, like they want to know, like this is going to be a battle, this is going to be physical, this is going to be old-school football." It is challenging to maintain positive energy when a player who has only played five games with the Silver and Black fails to uphold their end of a contract worth over $100 million. Shortly after releasing Wilkins, the Raiders issued the following statement. "We have decided that it is in the best interests of the organization to move on from Christian Wilkins. This franchise has a Commitment to Excellence on and off the field. With no clear path or plan for future return to play from Christian, this transaction is necessary for the entire organization to move forward and prepare for the new season." The Raiders' words spoke loudly enough, but they did not say nearly as loudly as the actual move of releasing Wilkins. Full details of why the Raiders decided to move on from Wilkins after just one season remain unclear, but one thing is clear: the Raiders' new-look front office means business. Find us on X (formerly Twitter) @HondoCarpenter and Instagram @HondoSr and weigh in on this take. While here, check out our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE to discuss this take
The Green Bay Packers released star cornerback Jaire Alexander earlier this offseason, which frustrated the fan base because they did so without an obvious solution. Packers fans have been clamoring for the team to sign veteran and former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore, but Green Bay does not appear all that interested in doing so. But you know who could represent a possible replacement for Alexander? Wide receiver Bo Melton. Yes, you read that right: wide receiver Bo Melton. Melton has started Packers training camp as a cornerback, which could ultimately lead to the 26-year-old assuming a major role in Green Bay’s secondary. Why the position switch? Well, Melton was struggling finding playing time in the Packers’ receiving corps as it was. Now, Green Bay added Matthew Golden and Savon Williams into the equation, so the chances of him actually getting on the field as a receiver in 2025 are slim to none. Melton logged just eight catches for 91 yards last season, and in 2024, he finished with 16 receptions for 218 yards and a touchdown. The funny thing is, he actually has shown promise in very limited action, but there is simply no room for him. The Rutgers product seems to want to stay in Green Bay, hence his decision to flip to the other side of the ball. He knows he has no chance to play as a wide out. Why not utilize his athleticism as a cornerback? Of course, this does not necessarily mean that Melton will serve as Alexander’s primary replacement. In fact, it would be pretty concerning if the Packers choose not to bring in another corner between now and the start of the regular season. But hey, maybe Melton will be so impressive in camp that Green Bay will actually give him a look.
On Thursday, wrestling icon Terry "Hulk Hogan" Bollea died at the age of 71. "WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away," the company said in a statement. "One of pop culture’s most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s... WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends, and fans." Hogan was the first true superstar to emerge in the wrestling industry, capturing a casual audience worldwide and bringing new eyes to the sport. He was an unbelievable draw, both as a baby face and as a heel. From his time as an All-American hero to leading the New World Order and teaming with Randy Savage as part of the "Mega Powers," he has been a staple of the scene for decades. Who can forget his WrestleMania III moment, where he defied the laws of physics to body-slam a 520-pound Andre the Giant? Or, more recently, his match with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson at WrestleMania 18? His last appearance on WWE RAW on Jan. 6 saw him booed throughout, highlighting the rocky legacy Hogan leaves behind. Hogan's universal popularity has plummeted in recent years, primarily due to a racism scandal that led to his removal from the Wrestling Hall of Fame, only to be reinstated in 2018. Nevertheless, the damage had been done. Hogan's outdated and unwelcome outlook on specific aspects of life derailed the final stanza of a legendary career. Still, there's no denying that without Hogan, the wrestling we know and love today wouldn't exist. There wouldn't be WWE on the world's largest streaming platform, or All Elite Wrestling, which is developing into one of the most successful challenger brands. Instead, there would be smaller, more localized promotions, all competing for a sliver of television time. Hogan popularized the sport by bridging the gap between the wrestling ring and Hollywood. During his time in the spotlight, Hogan appeared in movies such as "Rocky III," "No Holds Barred" and "Suburban Commando," all of which helped bring his larger-than-life persona to a new audience. It's no surprise, then, that The Rock, John Cena and Dave Bautista have all made similar jumps in recent years. Hogan leaves behind an everlasting imprint on the wrestling world. Unfortunately, it comes with multiple asterisks; however, that doesn't change what he achieved as the first global wrestling star.
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