In his second year at the helm of Bayer Leverkusen, Xabi Alonso has brought a breath of fresh air to the Bundesliga, guiding his side to a sixth-place finish in the domestic league, and they remain unbeaten after seven matches.
The former Spain midfielder has emerged as one of the most promising young managers in Europe, and Real Madrid, where Carlo Ancelotti is rumored to be leaving the team at the end of the season to become Brazil’s national team coach, is reportedly eyeing him as their next manager.
According to Sport BILD, Xabi Alonso’s contract with Leverkusen includes a clause that allows him to leave the club if he reaches a contract agreement with one of the three teams he played for during his career, Liverpool, Real Madrid, or Bayern Munich.
Liverpool is also looking for a successor to Jurgen Klopp, who has transformed the club into one of the best in Europe since his arrival at Anfield in 2015, transforming it into a team that can compete for the title every season, and Xabi Alonso, who once sent Liverpool supporters into a frenzy, has been mentioned as one of the candidates.
Steven Gerrard, who was seen as the frontrunner, failed at Aston Villa, and the path he chose after that was Saudi Arabia, giving the impression that he is far from taking over the Liverpool leadership, and many are eagerly awaiting the 41-year-old commander who was his partner in midfield.
However, there is still time before Klopp’s contract expires, and Real Madrid has the advantage in terms of timing. Bayern Munich, too, just had Thomas Tuchel take over last season, and he is not likely to be dismissed unless the team’s performance is very poor.
So what will happen to the up-and-coming Spanish coach?