Bayern Munich and Liverpool both looking for new managers this summer; Sky in Germany claim Bayern have opened discussions with Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso; the ex-Liverpool midfielder is also reportedly a target for the Reds as they search for Jurgen Klopp’s successor
Madrid working on deal to appoint Spaniard />
Image: Xabi Alonso has guided Bayer Leverkusen to the top of the Bundesliga with his side unbeaten in all competitions this season
Bayern Munich’s honorary president Uli Hoeness has claimed his club, Liverpool and Real Madrid are all “working” on a deal to appoint Xabi Alonso as their next manager.
Earlier this month, Sky in Germany reported Bayern had opened discussions with Bayer Leverkusen head coach Alonso about replacing Thomas Tuchel in the summer.
The ex-Liverpool midfielder is also reportedly of interest to the Reds as they search for Jurgen Klopp’s successor at the end of the season.
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Sky Sports News senior reporter Melissa Reddy has the latest news on the potential destination of Xabi Alonso
Liverpool’s new sporting director Richard Hughes, who will start his role at the end of the season and is Michael Edwards’ first appointment since being named Fenway Sports Group’s CEO of Football, knows the agent of Alonso having brought another of his clients, Andoni Iraola, to Bournemouth last summer.
Alonso has also been linked with a move to his former club Real Madrid, although the LaLiga side’s boss Carlo Ancelotti extended his contract with the the club in December until the summer of 2026.
But Ex-Bayern Munich president Hoeness claims the Spanish giants are interested in Alonso, along with Bayern and Liverpool.
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Jamie Carragher analyses Bayer Leverkusen’s style of football under Xabi Alonso, and predicts how Liverpool would play if he was to succeed Jurgen Klopp at Anfield
“He’s [Alonso’s] proven that he can be a coach for the big time,” Hoeness told German news outlet Ran Sport.
“Clubs like Liverpool, Real Madrid, Leverkusen and FC Bayern are working on it.”
Sky in Germany claim Alonso is Bayern’s preferred candidate and they are understood to have received a positive signal from him during initial talks.
The Spaniard would cost Bayern between £12.8m-£21.3m (€15m-€25m) this summer as a fixed exit clause in his contract of around £12.8m (€15m) does not kick in until the summer of 2025.
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Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso reflects on his story so far as he discusses following in his father’s footsteps, coaching idols and what drew him to the Bundesliga side
Hoeness said on Bayern’s managerial search: “There are hardly any coaches who come into question who are currently free, who don’t have a job or who are on sabbatical.
“It’s not so easy to tell them that FC Bayern is the measure of all things.”
The heavyweight interest in Alonso comes with his Bayer Leverkusen side unbeaten in all competitions this season, having failed to win just five of their 38 games.
Alonso has guided Leverkusen to the top of the Bundesliga as they sit 10 points clear of Bayern Munich, putting them on the verge of their first German top-flight title.
Should Alonso choose Bayern or Liverpool?
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A look at how Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen set up as the talented coach gets touted to be Jurgen Klopp’s replacement at Liverpool
Sky Sports News’ Melissa Reddy has analysed Alonso’s situation after speaking to multiple sources in England and Germany.
The case for Bayern Munich…
Winning is easier at Bayern, but losing leaves you in a critical condition – Julian Nagelsmann had overseen defeat in just three games across all competitions last season before he was sacked.
Tuchel, exiting in May, has been fortunate to last this long in contrast. Borussia Dortmund lost the title last season more than Bayern won it.
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Xabi Alonso insists his focus is solely on winning games with Bayer Leverkusen amid speculation he could join either Bayern Munich or Liverpool in the summer
The German giants are so conditioned to success and regularly extracting the best gifts from their domestic threats, it prompts periods of complacency, but also a divorce from reality. Bayern believe they should be winning the Champions League. Failure in that competition is fatal for managers.
Since Klopp took charge at Liverpool, seven different faces have been at Bayern’s helm. There has been chaos at board level, perfectly summarised by previous bosses Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidzic sacking Nagelsmann in March 2023, only to be relieved of their own duties two months later.
Alonso will be tuned in to how often the manager’s decisions are berated at Bayern. Tuchel recently complained that the media draw battle lines by favouring members of the squad and bristling when they do not start.
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Sky in Germany reporter Felix Fischer outlines why Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso is held in such high regard
Tuchel has accepted responsibility for poor performances and results, but reminded he is not the only problem at Bayern; a broadside at both the squad and the hierarchy.
It has been evident over recent years that Bayern insist on a coach with a clear philosophy without ensuring the team meshes with that identity.
The spine needs to be rebuilt and the average age of the group reduced. Perhaps the sales pitch is Alonso can construct a side in his image – but does recent history support that?
The case for Liverpool…
The wholesome scenes at Wembley, where the club’s academy kids showed the bravery to burst Chelsea’s billion-pound bubble in the Carabao Cup final, will have emphasised what great health Jurgen Klopp leaves Liverpool in.
The first-team squad, in the mix for three more trophies this season despite a ridiculously long injury list, requires supplements and enhancements rather than any serious surgery.
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Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp hailed potential successor Xabi Alonso as a ‘standout’ manager after his incredible season so far with Bayer Leverkusen
The direction of travel is clear at Anfield. Alonso wouldn’t just be inheriting one of the strongest squads in Europe, but a special bond between the players and supporters that was neatly showcased in the galvanising rendition of Allez, Allez, Allez during extra-time in that Carabao Cup final victory.
The house, harmony, and hope that Klopp has built is formidable and will endure under the right circumstances. Alonso need not fear mimicking the German as Liverpool do not want a JK 2.0 or a lite version of him.
That does not alter the fact that it is daunting to succeed a man, who more than winning the lot, made people feel and believe through unforgettable shared experiences.
Questions over whether a Liverpool team geared to a more direct style of play is suited to Alonso’s possession-based preference ignores the evidence of his ability to adapt and underestimates the bandwidth of players to absorb new ideas.
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Pep Guardiola praised his former player and now Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso on his success and skills as a manager
His due diligence would also point to patience, empowerment, and non-interference from owners Fenway Sports Group.
Alonso knows the scale of competitors will be much higher at Liverpool, who cannot offer state-powered tools. He will need to help find the edges, to work within the club’s means.
It will be harder to win, but for someone who outperformed his resources at both Real Sociedad B and Leverkusen, perhaps he will feel it is more rewarding.
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