Liverpool could reportedly face competition from Real Madrid to appoint Bayer Leverkusen's Xabi Alonso as their next manager.
The 42-year-old has been tipped to replace Jurgen Klopp at Anfield ever since the German announced that he will be stepping down from his post at the end of the season.
Alonso is under contract at Leverkusen until June 2026 and the club's sporting director Simon Rolfes recently affirmed that he is "sure" that the Spaniard will remain in charge for the 2024-25 campaign.
Nevertheless, Liverpool have allegedly identified Alonso as their primary candidate to succeed Klopp and are said to have already made contact with him to gauge his interest in the soon-to-be vacancy at Anfield.
Alonso spent five years as a Liverpool player between 2004 and 2009, making over 200 appearances and winning four trophies including the 2005 Champions League.
The former midfielder then spent the next five years at Real Madrid up until 2014, winning another Champions League in his final season at the club as well as one La Liga title among five trophies during his time at the Santiago Bernabeu.
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Like Liverpool, Real Madrid are said to be keeping tabs on Alonso's managerial situation, and Football Insider reports that a move to Los Blancos is 'likely to be the best pathway' for his career, with current boss Carlo Ancelotti set to see his contract expire in 2026.
The prospect of Alonso staying at Leverkusen for at least one more season could therefore benefit Real Madrid's chance of luring the Spaniard to La Liga, considering that Liverpool are on the hunt for a new boss this summer.
Alonso, who has also been linked with replacing Xavi at Barcelona, has insisted that he is "really happy" in his current role at Leverkusen and is focused on his attempts to lead the club to their first-ever Bundesliga title this season.
Since his appointment as Leverkusen boss in October 2022, Alonso have won 43, drawn 14 draws and lost 10 of his 67 matches in charge, and reached the semi-finals of the Europa League during his first season at the club.
Alonso has since steered his side on a remarkable club-record 31-game unbeaten run across all competitions this season, one short of the all-time German football record set by Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich in 2019-20.
Leverkusen most recently beat Bayern 3-0 on home soil to move five points clear at the top of the Bundesliga table, while they are also competing in the last 16 of the Europa League and have progressed to the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal.
