Christian Falk has revealed what Xabi Alonso’s agent did ‘immediately’ after he received contact from Liverpool regarding the Bayer Leverkusen manager.
The Reds are currently vying with Bayern Munich for the services of the 42-year-old, with both six-time European champions on the lookout for new coaches for next season amid the impending departures of Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel.
In his exclusive Fact Files column for CaughtOffside, the German football reporter pointed out how Alonso’s representative responded to the approaches from the Spaniard’s two main suitors.
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Falk outlined: “Xabi Alonso is still Munich’s dream coach. But – despite many reports – there were still no negotiations between Bayern and Alonso.
“What speaks for it: When Liverpool contacted Iñaki Ibáñez, Alonso’s agent, the agent immediately communicated the Reds’ interest to those in charge at Leverkusen. That didn’t happen in the case of Bayern.
“FC Bayern is still waiting for a signal from Alonso as to whether he can imagine a move to Munich. As soon as that happens, they would start negotiations.”
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When it was reported by Sky Germany earlier this week that Bayern had opened discussions with Alonso, that seemed to represent a hammer blow to Liverpool’s hopes of hiring the club’s former midfielder.
However, Falk’s update suggests that the Munich giants aren’t that far along in proceedings, and that Ibanez may even have given the Merseysiders a slight edge, given how he instantly communicated LFC’s interest to the Leverkusen board but didn’t do so for the Bavarian outfit.
Considering the plethora of reports which emerge every day about the 42-year-old’s future, and which prospective suitor appears to have the upper hand, ascertaining the truth can be a matter of judging between the various news lines being communicated.
What offers encouragement for Liverpool fans in this instance is Falk’s status as one of the most reliable reporters in German football.
It’s still far too early to jump to any great conclusions that Alonso will definitely be coming back to Anfield, but for now we can still remain positive that it could be a viable possibility.