Liverpool and Bayern Munich are both expecting Xabi Alonso to remain as the head coach of Bayer Leverkusen beyond this season. Despite pursuing other managerial targets, both clubs have been aware for some time that Alonso is unlikely to leave Leverkusen. The 42-year-old former Liverpool player is currently in his first senior head coaching role with the German club and has enjoyed instant success, with his side sitting at the top of the Bundesliga table and unbeaten in all competitions this season.
Alonso played a significant role during his time as a player at Liverpool between 2004 and 2009, winning the Champions League in 2005 and the FA Cup in 2006. After retiring in 2017, he began his managerial career at Real Sociedad B in 2019 and then moved on to Leverkusen in October 2022 for his first senior job in management. Under his guidance, Leverkusen has remained unbeaten in 26 Bundesliga games this season, winning 22 matches and drawing four, putting them 10 points clear of Bayern Munich with eight rounds of league action remaining.
Outgoing Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp announced in January that he intends to leave Anfield at the end of the season after nine years with the club. However, his assistant coach Pep Ljinders is not in the running to succeed Klopp as he is on the shortlist to become the new Ajax manager.
Bayern Munich is also pessimistic about their chances of appointing Alonso this summer as they seek a successor for Thomas Tuchel, who will step down at the end of the campaign. Bayern’s honorary president, Uli Hoeness, expressed the club’s interest in appointing Alonso but believes that he will stay at Leverkusen due to their current successes. Hoeness stated that Alonso would not want to leave them behind and it would be easier to bring him out of Leverkusen if he had a few more years of success.
Alonso’s impressive playing career included spells at Real Sociedad, Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich. He won the World Cup in 2010 and the European Championships in 2008 and 2012 with the Spanish national team. His managerial career has been off to a strong start, and he has expressed his focus and motivation on doing good work at Leverkusen.
As for Klopp, his tenure at Liverpool since 2015 has been highly successful, winning the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, and League Cup. He still has the opportunity to add more honors before his departure at the end of the 2023-24 season, as Liverpool is currently competing for the Premier League and Europa League titles. They are currently second in the Premier League table and will face Atalanta in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
In conclusion, it seems that both Liverpool and Bayern Munich anticipate Xabi Alonso’s continued presence at Bayer Leverkusen. Alonso’s immediate success as a head coach and his desire to maintain Leverkusen’s current achievements make it unlikely for him to leave the German club this summer. Meanwhile, Liverpool will soon be saying goodbye to Jurgen Klopp after a highly successful nine-year tenure, while Bayern Munich seeks a successor for Thomas Tuchel. The football world will eagerly await further developments regarding these managerial appointments.