Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso has signed a new three-year contract as manager of Bayer Leverkusen.
Alonso has done a superb job at the Bundesliga club since taking over last October. His relative success has led to claims that he could be in-line to take over from Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid next summer. With the 41-year-old’s deal coming to an end in 2024, that seemed plausible.
But now, as per the Bayer Leverkusen official Twitter account, Alonso has penned a two-year extension at the Bayer Arena.
Interestingly, it’s reported that the Spaniard’s new contract will run until 30th June 2026. As plenty of Liverpool fans will be aware, that’s the same date Jurgen Klopp is currently tied to the Reds until.
Given his history at the club, Alonso has inevitably been put forward as a potential candidate to succeed Klopp at Liverpool. With the Reds reportedly ‘very aware’ of his progress, this new deal could be a small step towards that.
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Alonso signs new Leverkusen deal
With 2026 still three years away, it doesn’t do too much good to speculate on who will follow on from Jurgen at Anfield.
It’s still indeed very possible that the 56-year-old ends up signing on for another period at the club. Whether he does will obviously depend on how the next three seasons go.
A report yesterday suggested that staff at Liverpool had actually been worried that Klopp may have walked away during last season’s dismal year.
But having battled his way through that, the German coach looks re-energised and ready to go again.
Should the coming campaign go the same way as the last one though, then maybe his enthusiasm will start to wane. Right now, it’s impossible to see Klopp stepping away before 2026. But if things continue to be a struggle, it’s hard to see why he’d renew beyond that.
So, for a moment, let’s just imagine that Jurgen is leaving Liverpool in 2026. As galling a thought as that may be, it’s exciting to know that someone like Alonso could step into the breach.
If he continues his success at Leverkusen, then there’s every chance he may be plucked away before then. It’s likely that his former clubs Bayern Munich and Madrid will need a manager before Liverpool. Why wouldn’t they turn to Alonso? But, call us romantics if you want, we think these two dates lining up isn’t necessarily a coincidence.