There should be plenty of interest from Liverpool fans into what’s going on at Bayer Leverkusen this season.
Given the possibility of Xabi Alonso replacing Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager this summer, Reds supporters may very well have already adopted Leverkusen as a second team this year.
Die Werkself are currently on a 30-game unbeaten run. Having made it through to the semi-final of the DFB Pokal last night, Alonso and his exciting young team are also flying at the top of the Bundesliga. This has seen a number of the Leverkusen squad linked with moves elsewhere. Some, such as Florian Wirtz, have already been suggested as possible arrivals at Liverpool.
Another to have reportedly captured the Reds’ imagination is centre-back Jonathan Tah. Turning 28 this Sunday and now vice-captain, Tah is one of Alonso’s senior men in the team. Despite suggestions that he was up for sale last summer, the Germany international has become a key player this term.
Nevertheless, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano on X, there’s still a possibility that Tah is now playing out his final months as a Leverkusen player.
“One more goal, one more excellent game for Jonathan Tah for Bayer Leverkusen as he’s performing at top level under Xabi Alonso this season,” Romano reports. “One to watch in the summer as current contract is due to expire in June 2025, just one year left.”
Tah ready for Leverkusen exit
Tah was reportedly on Liverpool’s radar for last summer as they assessed their options in the defence. With Jarell Quansah impressing though, Klopp chose to stick with what he had.
Nevertheless, links with the German emerged once again last month. 90min claimed that Liverpool were and still are looking at bringing in two centre-backs in the near future: one young prospect and another older head.
At 28, Tah would obviously be the older head. And with just one year left on his deal come the summer, you can see why he would appeal to Liverpool on that basis.
However, with everything now turned upside down in regard to Klopp, it’s hard to say what a new manager will want this summer.
We broadly know what Jurgen wants from the squad and so can rate the likelihood of potential transfers as a result of that.
But as of now, it’s impossible to deduce what a new manager – Alonso or otherwise – will see when they run the rule over the team they inherit.
If it does end up being Xabi, then that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll look to recruit key performers from his old club. We’ve seen the likes of Erik ten Hag try that at Manchester United and it hasn’t really worked.
Klopp on the other hand had never previously managed any single player he took charge of at Liverpool. It was never something he looked for in a signing.
We’d expect that should Alonso come in we might see a few more links with Tah, Wirtz and the rest. Things will start moving quickly now as the season draws towards its conclusion, but they’re not moving yet.
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