Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso has called his potential future as a Premier League manager “a nice one” amid speculation that the former Liverpool player could be a successor to Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.
Alonso, whose achievement in taking Leverkusen to the brink of the German title has made him one of the most impressive new coaches in Europe, had been the subject of speculation that he would replace Klopp when the German leaves Liverpool at the end of the season.
The 42-year-old announced in March that he will spend next season at Leverkusen, where he has overseen a remarkable campaign in which his players having gone unbeaten throughout.
Leverkusen require a maximum of three points from their remaining six league matches to win the Bundesliga for the first time in their history, and they are also in the quarter-finals of the Uefa Europa League and the final of German cup competition the DFB-Pokal.
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“You never know,” Alonso replied when he was asked about returning to the Premier League.
“I have enough on my plate to think about. I’m still young as a coach, so time will tell. It’s a nice one.”
Leverkusen v West Ham ‘big challenge’
Bayern Munich – the club Leverkusen are about to depose as German champions – are thought to have been keen to capture Alonso when Thomas Tuchel leaves them at the end of the season, and Barcelona have been linked with the former Spain midfielder.
As the scorer of the equaliser when Liverpool rallied from 3-0 behind at half-time to win the 2004/05 Champions League final, Alonso was asked whether an undefeated season with Leverkusen would be more of a feat than the game dubbed the ‘Miracle of Istanbul’.
𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘃𝘀 @WestHam
💬 #Alonso “We know what West Ham can do. They have experience in Europe, last season they were Champions of the Conference League. We want to go further and starting tomorrow and then next week in London we have to play to our own… pic.twitter.com/WUtGepHh3j
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) April 10, 2024
“Why do we have to pick just one?” Alonso asked. “We can have more than one miracle. That was one big miracle and we have to remember we were part of it.
“Let’s see what happens with the second one. It’s a big challenge, for sure – but we are on the way.”
Die Werkself will seek a seventh consecutive win when they host West Ham in the last eight of the Europa League on Thursday.
Alonso took over in October 2022, suffering his last home defeat to Koln in May 2023.
