Liverpool are reportedly ‘not in the box seat’ to appoint Xabi Alonso as their manager this summer. Instead, it is likely that the Spaniard will remain with Bayern Leverkusen beyond this season before heading to Real Madrid.
Jurgen Klopp revealed in January that he will leave Liverpool at the end of the campaign as he feels that he is ‘running out of energy in the position’. The German felt he had a duty to step down, knowing that it was unlikely that he would ever be sacked due to his prior accomplishments.
The announcement sparked the higher powers at Anfield into life, with a thorough managerial search underway. Sporting’s Ruben Amorim and Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi are among those being heavily considered, though Alonso is the favourite in Merseyside.
The Reds have been impressed by how the Spaniard has led Bayer to an unbeaten season so far, though they aren’t alone in their admiration of the 42-year-old as Bayern Munich are also firmly in the race to secure his signature.
However, both sides are likely to be forced to consider alternative options, reports ESPN. Real Madrid are actually in ‘pole position’ to sign Alonso in 2026, and that has been the case before the three-horse race to appoint him broke out. Los Blancos have built their ex-midfielder into their succession plan and sounded out their interest in the Bayer boss after reports began to circulate that Carlo Ancelotti was weighing up becoming the manager of the Brazil national team.
The higher powers at the Santiago Bernabeu convinced Ancelotti to sign a new two-year deal at the club, and it is ‘no coincidence’ that Alonso’s deal with Leverkusen will expire when Madrid are on the lookout for a new long-term manager, the same report claims.
