Raúl González has been linked to a multitude of clubs since he made the decision to leave Real Madrid. With Xabi Alonso's arrival to the first team, he saw his dream of sitting on Santiago Bernabéu bench slip away for good. Given the circumstances, he chose to step aside and leave Castilla with the intention of "moving up" and joining a top-level club.
He has received several important offers, but so far it seems that none have fully convinced him. However, now everything appears to have changed with the latest news coming from Germany.
Erik Ten Hag, dismissed
The decision made by Bayer Leverkusen has been surprising. After a short time in charge as Xabi Alonso's successor, Erik ten Hag has ended up being dismissed. This happened after a poor start to the Bundesliga, drawing one match and losing another.
This cost him his job, and he also left a very shaken locker room. Nobody trusted him or his methods, and the club decided to make a clean break.
Raúl González, Bayer Leverkusen's chosen one
Right now, Leverkusen has started a process to find his replacement. It seems that the first on the list is Raúl González himself, whom they see as the ideal candidate.
Raúl meets all the requirements that Bayer Leverkusen is looking for, and they also see him as a figure very similar to Xabi Alonso. The Spaniard left a great impression there, and they want to repeat the experience with someone they describe as "cut from the same cloth."
After Ten Hag's short and poor spell, Leverkusen doesn't want to make a mistake and believes the best option is in Spain. There are several candidates on the table, but Raúl González is liked and convincing for several reasons that make him stand out above the rest.
Development DNA
Raúl's time in Real Madrid's youth academy has been more than remarkable. He began his coaching career in 2018, leading Cadete B and later Juvenil B. In 2020, with Juvenil A, he lifted the UEFA Youth League trophy, showing his ability to compete and develop players at the same time.
Since then, he has been in charge of Castilla, where he has worked with several of the club's young prospects. He has experienced the pressure of coaching Madrid's second team and has shown that he has a firm yet approachable character.
That profile fits perfectly with Bayer Leverkusen's philosophy: demand, development, and projection.