Liverpool are tracking Xabi Alonso to return to the club that he spent a five-year spell at Anfield
(Image credit: Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
Liverpool have been given the go ahead to appoint Xabi Alonso as their new manager, following a new turn of events at Bayern.
Reds manager Jurgen Klopp is set to step aside at the end of the season following nine years at the helm, with Alonso the favourite to return to Anfield – having won a Champions League on Merseyside in five years in English football.
The Bayer Leverkusen manager is also said to be of interest to another of his former sides, Bayern Munich, who are chasing Leverkusen in the Bundesliga title race. But with fresh reports coming out from the Allianz Arena, it looks as if Liverpool have the upper hand.
Bayern Munich are seeking a replacement for Thomas Tuchel (Image credit: Getty Images)
As relayed by The Mirror, Antonio Conte is Bayern's choice to succeed Thomas Tuchel in the hotseat at the Allianz Arena, sparking a reunion between the former Tottenham Hotspur boss and Harry Kane.
This would enable Liverpool to offer Alonso their top job without the Bavarians countering – though Leverkusen are said to be planning for a future with the Basque boss at the helm, despite speculation to the contrary.
“He has a contract until 2026 and we are planning the next season with him at full speed,” Leverkusen chief, Fernando Carro, told Marca.
Bayern want Antonio Conte at the Allianz (Image credit: Getty Images)
“Nothing makes us think that he will not continue with us. On the coaching level, he is the number one in the world at the moment.”
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Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.
