Bayer Leverkusen sporting director has already said where Xabi Alonso will be coaching next season

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For Liverpool fans, it’s becoming a matter of when not if Xabi Alonso is announced as their next manager.

The Spaniard has emerged as the clear favourite to take over from Jurgen Klopp at the end of the season. With contact reportedly already made between Liverpool and Alonso, it feels likely to happen.

However, a note of caution should still be advised. For now, there is still nothing concrete to suggest that things have developed. Alonso is very much still manager of Bayer Leverkusen.

And according to Sky Germany reporter Felix Fischer, the German clubs are expecting things to stay that way until at least next season.

“I imagine he will be the Liverpool coach one day but Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes said on Sunday that he is really sure that Alonso will still be the coach next season,” Fischer reports.

“All the top teams do have an eye on him. The boss of Bayern Munich will have an eye on him for some day, as well as Real Madrid. It’s going to be a race for Alonso. I don’t think it’ll take place in the summer, but the season after that.”

Liverpool told to wait for Alonso

It could well be that Alonso ends up staying at Leverkusen. But to Fischer’s point, that’s exactly why Liverpool have to try and get the 42-year-old back to Anfield now.

Of course his current club will want to keep him. There’s a good chance that Alonso will lead Bayer to a league and cup double this campaign. They’ve never won the former and last won the latter 31 years ago. It would be some feat.

Obviously, that level of success will attract potential suitors. With Xabi reportedly having a clause that allows him to leave for any one of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid or Liverpool, those three clubs will be knocking at some point.

For both Bayern and Madrid, that point is likely to come next summer. Although Thomas Tuchel is a little under pressure, nothing seems to be imminent in terms of changing him out, while Carlo Ancelotti recently signed a new contract in the Spanish capital.

This summer feels to come too soon for both clubs, but it could be different in 12 months.

For Liverpool though, why on earth would they be involved in a race for a manager in a year’s time? They need someone now, that’s painfully clear.

It seems odd to say that a race will happen between these three clubs when Liverpool will have had a coach in place for just a year by that point.

As a result, we get the feeling this may be a little face-saving from Leverkusen. They know that Alonso is keen to come back to Liverpool and know that the Reds will be interested in taking him.

Rolfes could end up being right of course, we’ll just have to wait and see. But you feel that Liverpool aren’t simply going to let Xabi just slip away.