Unai Emery has responded to speculation suggesting that he is a leading contender to succeed Xabi Alonso as manager of Real Madrid. The Blancos are currently working under the tutelage of interim head coach Alvaro Arbeloa. Various names have been added to the mix at the Bernabeu, with Aston Villa boss Emery said to be climbing that list.La Liga giants in the Spanish capital made a change in their dugout early in 2026, with the decision taken to part with World Cup winner Alonso. He lasted only a matter of months at the helm, with reins being picked up in Madrid during the summer of 2025.Arbeloa has taken over for now, but has suffered a humbling Copa del Rey defeat to Albacete and been unable to secure automatic qualification for the last-16 of Champions League competition.A more experienced head will be sought at some stage. Reports in Spain and across Europe have suggested that Emery is a tactician that Bernabeu bosses admire - having previously seen him guide Sevilla to three Europa League titles.The 54-year-old is a client of so-called ‘super agent’ Jorge Mendes, who boasts strong ties to Real. Emery is, however, giving little away when it comes to his future plans. He told reporters when asked about the supposed interest from Madrid: “Nothing to say about it.”Media outlets in Spain claim that Emery is “best positioned” to take over at Real, despite former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp reportedly being ready to leave his role as Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull and step back into the dugout.Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!Fabrizio Romano recently said of the speculation regarding a return to management for Klopp - who walked away from Anfield in the summer of 2024: “Real Madrid lost their first game with Alvaro Arbeloa as manager, being eliminated from the Copa del Rey against Albacete, but this does not change anything about his future. It was his first game and he had only one training session, so it cannot be judged as part of an Arbeloa era.“Arbeloa will have his opportunity in the Champions League and La Liga, and those performances will define his chances of continuing beyond this season. At the same time, Real Madrid will still be planning for summer 2026 in case they decide to make a change.“On Jurgen Klopp, there are people inside Real Madrid who really appreciate him, and I can confirm that he has supporters within the club. However, this must start from Klopp himself. Real Madrid will not approach him asking if he wants to return to coaching.“If Klopp decides publicly that he wants to return, then he could be considered in the summer, but only if Arbeloa does not stay. For now, Klopp remains focused on his role with Red Bull and there is nothing advanced with Real Madrid.”Klopp is said to be demanding that Real part with three senior players before he considers taking charge. It is claimed that Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior has “total incompatibility” with Klopp, while Franco Mastantuono and Brahim Diaz could also be moved on.Ramon Alvarez de Mon is, however, claiming that Emery is now a favoured choice of many at the Bernabeu. He has posted on social media: “If Real Madrid were to decide on a coaching change at the end of the season, Unai Emery would be the best positioned. There have already been conversations in recent days to gauge his availability. More details on the channel.”Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reportingEmery, who endured a troubled spell in charge of Arsenal between the summer of 2018 and November 2019, returned to English football with Villa in November 2022. He has taken in 173 games in charge of the Villans and is only two wins short of reaching 100.He has guided the West Midlands outfit into continental competition, overseeing Champions League and Europa League adventures. Villa are now riding high in the Premier League table and may yet form part of a title battle in 2026.Villa sit third in the English top-flight table, but are level on points with Manchester City and only four back on leaders Arsenal. They have 15 games left to take in this season, while remaining in the hunt for FA Cup and Europa League honours.