Liverpool and Bayern Munich expect Xabi Alonso to stay at Bayer Leverkusen beyond this season, with both clubs pursuing other management goals.
Liverpool have known for some time that Alonso was unlikely to leave Leverkusen this summer.
Alonso, 42, is currently in his first senior head coaching role at the German club, but has enjoyed almost instant success with his team top of the Bundesliga table and unbeaten in all competitions this season.
Outgoing Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp announced in January his intention to leave Anfield at the end of the season after nine years on Merseyside.
His assistant coach Pep Ljinders is not in the running to succeed Klopp. He is on the shortlist to become Ajax’s new manager.
Alonso played 210 times for Liverpool between 2004 and 2009, winning the Champions League in 2005 and the FA Cup in 2006.
Alonso took charge of Leverkusen in the relegation zone in October 2022 before guiding them to a sixth-place finish. He was rewarded with a new contract in May which bound him until June 2026.
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This season, Leverkusen are unbeaten in 26 Bundesliga matches under Alonso and 10 points ahead of Bayern Munich with eight league days remaining, having won 22 matches and drawn four.
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Bayern Munich are also pessimistic about their chances of appointing Alonso this summer, as the club searches for a successor to Thomas Tuchel, who will step down at the end of the campaign.
Bayern honorary president Uli Hoeness admitted the club’s interest in Alonso’s appointment but added he believed he would stay at Bundesliga rivals Leverkusen.
“We’ll have to see if we can do it this year,” he said. “It will be difficult, if not probably impossible.
“[Alonso] is more inclined to stay at Bayer Leverkusen given his current successes, as he would not want to leave them behind. Let’s say if he had two or three more years of success, it would probably be easier to get him out of there.
Alonso enjoyed a hugely successful playing career that began at Real Sociedad and played with Rafael Benitez at Liverpool as well as at Real Madrid in Spain under Carlo Ancelotti and with Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich in Germany.
He also won the World Cup in 2010 and the European Championships twice – in 2008 and 2012 – with Spain.
After retiring in 2017, he began his managerial career at Real Sociedad B in 2019 before joining Leverkusen for his first managerial role in October 2022.
“Speculation is normal,” Alonso said of talks linking him to succeed Klopp earlier this year. “What Jurgen has done at Liverpool, I have a lot of respect and a lot of admiration for what he has done over the last few years.
“He accomplished a lot. My goal is here, at Bayer Leverkusen. I have a lot of motivation to do a good job here. I am very happy and happy with the team and the club. So that’s my goal.
“I’m not focusing on May, but on tomorrow and Gladbach and helping my players to be ready for tomorrow. We’ll see what happens at Liverpool.
Klopp joined Liverpool in 2015 and won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup.
He could still add further honors before his exit at the end of the 2023-24 campaign, with Liverpool still in contention for the Premier League and Europa League titles, having won the EFL Cup this season.
They are currently second in the Premier League table, behind leaders Arsenal on goal difference, and will face Italian side Atalanta in the Europa League quarter-final.
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(Lars Baron/Getty Images)