The powers that be in the Bernabéu feel that it is of vital strategic importance to find a safe-bet replacement for Xabi Alonso two or three years down the road. Until then, both the player and the club are happy to renew.
A couple of months ago, José Ángel Sánchez, managing director of the club, sat down with Alonso to talk about the player's future. The club considers him so indispensable that he is the only player whose salary has been increased by the club's own initiative. (he earns €5.5 million, net).
In the meeting, the player thanked Sánchez for the proposed two-month extension, but said that, as he was still under contract until the end of the season, he preferred to wait and find out who the Real Madrid manager would be next year, and if his role would continue to be as important. Truth be told, he was worried that it would be Rafa Benitez giving out the orders from the Bernabéu dugout.
"Don't you worry, even if Mourinho does go, Benitez won't be the new manager", he was assured. The player and manager parted ways rather bitterly back in Liverpool.
Florentino Pérez, who could only see Alonso as relatively important when he was originally signed, after seeing the players abilities on the pitch, has had to accept the all-importance of the midfielder. Only last Thursday, in a charity event, the president defined him as an "emblematic player".
All well and good, but the truth is that Xabi will finish his contract in June 2014 at the age of 32. The club is well aware that it is as important to renew his contract as it is to start making moves now to finding a replacement for such a key player.
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