Bayern Munich has reportedly opened talks with Bayer Leverkusen regarding a move for Xabi Alonso. The reigning Bundesliga champions previously revealed that current head coach Thomas Tuchel would depart the club after the season. Tuchel has struggled in his first full season at the helm and the German giants sit in an unfamiliar second place in the standings. As a result, Bayern will be hiring a new manager ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
There is no surprise that Alonso is the leading candidate for the prestigious position. After all, the former midfielder has taken Leverkusen to the top of the Bundesliga table. Not only is the North Rhine-Westphalia side leading the league, but they have not lost a single match in the season.
Bayern may have to break record transfer for manager
Sky Sports now reports that the two German teams have started discussing Alonso’s future. According to the news outlet, Bayern may have to pay up to $25 million to sign the highly rated coach. There is a stipulation in Alonso’s Leverkusen contract for a release clause of just over $16 million. Nevertheless, this price tag does not kick in until the summer of 2025.
Bayern broke the transfer fee record for a manager less than three years ago. The German giants signed Julian Nagelsmann from RB Leipzig in a deal worth around $25 million in the summer of 2021. Naglesmann, however, did not last two years at the helm and was sacked a year ago. The deal for the German coach just barely beat what Chelsea previously paid for former Brighton boss Graham Potter in 2022.
Along with supposedly opening talks with Leverkusen, Bayern also believes that Alonso prefers a move to Bavaria compared to Liverpool. The Premier League club will also need a new manager in the summer after Jurgen Klopp announced his departure. Much like Bayern, Liverpool is tracking Alonso as well.
However, Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg claims that the German side is optimistic that they can win the Alonso sweepstakes. “They have the information that, if he changes, he will go to Bayern and not Liverpool,” Plettenberg recently stated. “Alonso says that Liverpool and the [Jurgen] Klopp legacy are a difficult number. You could lose more than win.”
Bundesliga side will want to wrap up the deal as soon as possible
Bayern taking the lead in the race to sign Alonso is certainly good news for the German club’s fanbase. The former Bayern player is one of the top young coaches in the world. Although he would be an expensive signing, the Bavarians must make some serious changes come summertime.
The club has made a plethora of executive moves and will want to enter the 2024/2025 season with confidence. Along with the coaching change, several players are also likely to be bought and sold during the upcoming transfer period. Although second place is not the end of the world, Bayern and their fans are used to winning trophies regularly.
Liverpool, on the other hand, may have to act fast to rival Bayern for Alonso. There is no secret that the Reds admire their former player and need to make a major managerial decision. Much like Bayern, the Reds are also set for significant changes in the coming months.
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