Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes are both in the door at Liverpool – will Xabi Alonso be next?
Not if Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro has his way, with the 59-year-old making it quite clear that they don’t intend losing their manager to prospective suitors such as the Reds and Bayern Munich.
The BayArena chief emphasised in an interview with Marca: “He [Alonso] has a contract until 2026 and we are planning the next season with him at full speed. Nothing makes us think that he will not continue with us. At the coaching level, he is the number one in the world at the moment.”
READ MORE: Michael Edwards confirms huge news coming out of Liverpool this afternoon
It comes as no surprise to hear Carro’s emphatic statement of intent regarding their intentions for Alonso, who looks set to guide the club to their first-ever Bundesliga title in rip-roaring fashion, with Leverkusen yet to lose a single game this season.
They’re also firmly in the hunt for Europa League glory, and destiny could well pit them against Liverpool in the final of that competition in Dublin in nine weeks’ time, should both sides progress through the next two rounds.
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Trusted journalists such as Fabrizio Romano have stressed repeatedly that the Reds’ search for Jurgen Klopp’s replacement wouldn’t truly take flight until a new sporting director was in place, but now that Hughes’ appointment to that position has been confirmed, the hunt for our next manager should duly accelerate.
Alonso is in the enviable position of having multiple options on the table – stay with Leverkusen or go to Liverpool/Bayern? – and given how much all three clubs want him, he can call the shots as to where he’ll be managing next season.
By getting the crucial boardroom appointments sorted, the hope is that Anfield chiefs can now press ahead with their charm offensive towards the 42-year-old, one which might just see him prove Carro’s confidence to be misplaced.