Xabi Alonso has been advised by former Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Reiner Calmund to stay in Germany and wait for the Real Madrid job rather than replacing Jürgen Klopp as Liverpool manager.
Xabi Alonso has been told he should reject the chance to replace Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool by former Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Reiner Calmund.
Alonso has been heavily linked with the Reds job, which will become vacant when Klopp leaves at the end of the season. The former Liverpool midfielder has guided Leverkusen to the top of the Bundesliga and caught the eye of top European clubs in the process.
Bayern Munich has also been linked with the Spaniard, who took over at Leverkusen in the summer of 2022 after cutting his teeth in management with Real Sociedad B. While the Reds would face paying a hefty fee to prize him away from Germany, Sport BILD claims Alonso has a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ with Leverkusen that they will not stand in his way if he decides to leave for Liverpool, Bayern Munich or Real Madrid.
However, ex-Leverkusen chief Calmund has advised Alonso that he should stay where he is and keep learning with a view to eventually taking over at Real Madrid, rather than rushing to return to Anfield. “I firmly believe Alonso will be the coach of Leverkusen next season,” Calmund said, as per Diario AS.
“As a player he won everything, including the Champions League at Real Madrid. Ancelotti has extended his contract, so at the moment there’s no danger.
“If I was Alonso’s agent, I wouldn’t advise him to go to Liverpool as Klopp’s successor. I would recommend he stays in Leverkusen for one or two more years and then perhaps replace Ancelotti.”
Former Reds manager Rafa Benitez sounded a similar warning for there to be patience surrounding Alonso. He told The Guardian: “He’s a big name, good professional, good lad, clever, doing really well so I understand why [Alonso is being linked with Liverpool]. [But] imagine Steven Gerrard was around and doing well. Then it would be: ‘Gerrard! ‘ With social media everything is going too fast so that people don’t see the big picture.
However, one of Alonso’s current stars at Bayer Leverkusen, Alex Grimaldo, this week hailed him as a “special” manager. In a YouTube interview with Fabrizio Romano, Grimaldo declared: “Xabi Alonso is special. He’s going to mark an era as a manager.”
