Liverpool and Bayern Munich anticipate Xabi Alonso to stay at Bayer Leverkusen past this season with each golf equipment pursuing different managerial targets.
Liverpool have been conscious for a while that Alonso was unlikely to depart Leverkusen this summer season.
Alonso, 42, is presently in his first senior head teaching function with the German membership however has loved virtually immediate success together with his aspect prime of the Bundesliga desk and unbeaten throughout all competitions this season.
Outgoing Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp introduced in January his intention to depart Anfield on the finish of the season after 9 years on Merseyside.
His assistant coach Pep Ljinders is just not within the working to succeed Klopp. He’s on the shortlist to change into the brand new Ajax supervisor.
Alonso performed 210 instances for Liverpool between 2004 and 2009, profitable the Champions League in 2005 and FA Cup in 2006.
Alonso took cost of Leverkusen within the relegation zone in October 2022 earlier than guiding them to a sixth-placed end. He was rewarded with a brand new contract in Might that tied him right down to June 2026.
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This season, Leverkusen are unbeaten in 26 Bundesliga video games below Alonso and 10 factors away from Bayern Munich with eight rounds of league motion remaining, having received 22 matches and drawn 4.
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Bayern Munich are additionally pessimistic on their possibilities of appointing Alonso this summer season, because the membership search a successor for Thomas Tuchel, who will step down on the finish of the marketing campaign.
Bayern’s honorary president Uli Hoeness admitted the membership’s curiosity in appointing Alonso, however added that his perception was that he would stay at their Bundesliga rivals Leverkusen.
“We’ll should see if we are able to do it this 12 months,” he mentioned. “Will probably be tough, if not in all probability unimaginable.
“[Alonso] is extra inclined to remain at Bayer Leverkusen in view of their present successes, as a result of he wouldn’t wish to go away them behind. Let’s say if he had two or three extra years of success, it could in all probability be simpler to deliver him out of there.”
Alonso loved a vastly profitable taking part in profession that began at Actual Sociedad and took in spells with Rafael Benitez at Liverpool in addition to Actual Madrid in Spain below Carlo Ancelotti and with Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich in Germany.
He additionally received the World Cup in 2010 and European Championships twice — in 2008 and 2012 — with Spain.
Following his retirement in 2017, he started his managerial profession at Actual Sociedad B in 2019 earlier than shifting on to Leverkusen for his first senior job in administration in October 2022.
“Hypothesis is regular,” Alonso mentioned of discuss linking him with succeeding Klopp earlier this 12 months. “What Jurgen has carried out in Liverpool I’ve lots of respect for and nice admiration for what he has carried out over the previous couple of years.
“He’s achieved rather a lot. My focus is right here at Bayer Leverkusen. I’ve lots of motivation to do good work right here. I’m very content material and pleased with the staff and the membership. So that’s my focus.
“My focus is just not on Might, it’s on tomorrow and Gladbach and on serving to my gamers be prepared for tomorrow. We’ll see what occurs at Liverpool.”
Klopp joined Liverpool in 2015 and has gone on to win the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup.
He might but add extra honours earlier than his exit on the finish of the 2023-24 marketing campaign with Liverpool nonetheless competing for the Premier League and Europa League titles, having received this season’s EFL Cup.
They’re presently second within the Premier League desk, behind leaders Arsenal on objective distinction, and can play Italian aspect Atalanta within the quarter-final of the Europa League.
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(Lars Baron/Getty Pictures)