German Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich have contacted Xabi Alonso about taking over from Thomas Tuchel in the summer.
The former Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea manager looks likely to be the first Bayern Munich manager to lose the Bundesliga title in 12 years. Alonso, who is only in his first full season as a senior manager, is the man about to cause Tuchel this pain.
Alonso is currently managing the best team in Europe based on numbers, statistics, eye test and teamwork. This has caught the eye of many other big clubs across Europe, who have tried to contact him.
Liverpool are top of this list. The Reds, who Alonso played for in his heyday and won the UEFA Champions League with, are looking to replace the departing Jürgen Klopp with the Spaniard who was once on their books as a player.
They have been speaking with the 42-year-old for a while but have not made any breakthrough according to reports. Fresh reports now claim that Bayern have initiated contact, looking to sway him from choosing England in favour of managing Germany’s biggest club.
Alonso also played for Bayern Munich and retired from football as a Bayern player. He has a connection to both teams but enjoyed the most successes with Bayern. This, it is believed, is the Bavarians’ bargaining chip. Having found success as a player at the club, they are inviting him to repeat it as a manager.
The reports also claim that he has given positive signals with respect to the discussion between Bayern and him. His exit will cost Bayern between £13 million and £21 million due to a fixed clause in his contract at Leverkusen.
Klopp, meanwhile, has all but directly anointed Alonso as his successor. “The ‘dinosaurs’ like Ancelotti, Mourinho, Guardiola and myself will not do it for 20 more years but the next generation is already there. I would say Xabi is stand-out in that department”, Klopp said in a recent interview.
“He was a world-class player, like a coach already, and the team he has set up is exceptional. Not only the points tally but the way they play.”
It remains to be seen what the former Real Sociedad B team manager will do ahead of a big summer battle for his signature.
In the meantime, Alonso will turn his attention to Bayer 04 Leverkusen’s UEFA Europa League match with Qarabag FK for a chance ay going all the way to the final.
