Liverpool to accept defeat in Xabi Alonso pursuit as Spaniard agrees to stay with Bayer Leverkusen for another season

Liverpool are set to accept defeat in their pursuit of Xabi Alonso to take over once Jurgen Klopp leaves his post at the end of the current season. The Spaniard is currently with Bayer Leverkusen and reports suggest he has given his word to the German club that he will stay for another season.

Will Xabi Alonso manage Liverpool?

As Alonso’s Leverkusen strung together one positive result after another, many believed that was just the beginning of the managerial pedigree he has. Several began linking him with future moves to Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Liverpool FC – clubs he has represented as a player.

Shortly after, Klopp dropped the bombshell about his desire to leave, adding more fuel to the fire about Xabi Alonso’s potential move to Anfield. However, things have taken somewhat of a U-turn since then.

Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen are currently on the verge of winning their maiden Bundesliga title. They are 10 points clear of Bayern Munich after 26 games and need just four more wins to guarantee the title. Due to Leverkusen’s dominance over the Bavarians, the latter have also considered Alonso as a replacement for the outbound Thomas Tuchel.

Another destination is Real Madrid, where the vacancy depends solely on when Carlo Ancelotti decides to leave his post. However, that too is unlikely to happen in the upcoming summer, leaving the path clear for Xabi Alonso to remain with Leverkusen for the time being.

What next for Liverpool?

Seeing their primary target slip away from their reach, Liverpool will now chalk up another shortlist of potential candidates to take over from Jurgen Klopp.

Two names linked with the Reds’ hot seat in recent times are Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi and Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim.

As per reports from Fabrizio Romano, the Anfield club have the two tacticians on their radar for a while and see them as viable successors.

De Zerbi has impressed at Brighton since joining in 2022, with young and exciting players playing a fast-paced, attacking game. The Italian’s style of play would fit Liverpool like a hand in a glove, but Brighton will need to be convinced.

Amorim, on the other hand, is on the verge of securing his second Liga Portugal title with Sporting. Having last won it in the 2020-21 season, his team are currently first in the table with a one-point lead over Benfica in second. Sporting have a game-in-hand over their rivals and are well-placed to win it with nine games left in the season.

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