In a surprising turn of events, Xabi Alonso has informed Bayern Munich that he will remain with Bayer Leverkusen this summer.
According to reports from Sky Germany, the 42-year-old former footballer has decided to stay put, despite interest from both Bayern and Liverpool.
Initially considered a potential replacement for Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, Alonso was not included in the Reds’ shortlist of successors.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich also had their eyes on him as a replacement for the departing Thomas Tuchel.
However, Leverkusen’s manager has led the team to the brink of their first Bundesliga title in his first full season.
After joining Leverkusen in October 2022, Alonso engineered an impressive improvement that resulted in Europa League qualification.
Now, in his second season, Leverkusen remains unbeaten in all competitions and aims to end Bayern’s 11-year dominance of the Bundesliga title.
As Liverpool reshapes its hierarchy, Michael Edwards, the former sporting director, returns as Fenway Sports Group’s CEO of football.
Edwards has also recruited Richard Hughes from Bournemouth as the new sporting director. Hughes, who shares an agent with Alonso, played a role in appointing Andoni Iraola as Cherries boss last summer.
Bayern Munich, however, believes that signing Xabi Alonso will be a challenging task.
Uli Hoeness, their honorary president, expressed doubts, stating, “I feel that it will be very difficult to sign Xabi Alonso, not to say probably impossible.”
The football world awaits Alonso’s final decision.
