Liverpool fans have been advised that they may need to bide their time in waiting for Xabi Alonso to make a decision on his future.
The Reds and Bayern Munich are both vying for the 42-year-old’s services amid his exceptional work at Bundesliga champions-elect Bayer Leverkusen.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Ben Jacobs has said that the Spaniard will likely defer any major decision until the season ends, out of respect for his current employers, and won’t rush into accepting the first offer made to him.
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Broadly echoing a separate report from the Daily Mail‘s Lewis Steele in terms of the timeline of any potential appointment, the journalist outlined: “It’s largely going to be up to Alonso to decide when he wants to take an interview with any club because he’s focused on Leverkusen.
“He’s got a cup semi-final on the horizon, and he’s got a Bundesliga title to try and secure, as well as a Europa League tie against West Ham United, so maybe this international break is a period where some feedback may be given to clubs to start the process. But maybe Alonso wants to wait a few weeks and months and be respectful to Leverkusen.
“This isn’t really about a mad rush. It’s just about making sure that there’s clarity come the summer. That can happen today or tomorrow, but if it’s next week or next month, it won’t set anything back.
“Naturally, Alonso is not going to just take the first offer made to him. He’s going to wait and see what Liverpool do, and probably what Bayern do as well.”
The ever-unflappable Alonso will naturally take stock of every choice available to him, in the knowledge that whatever decision he makes could represent a gamble, just as punters who use kasyno Skrill are faced with do-I-or-don’t-I dilemmas.
The easiest option he could take is to simply preserve the status quo and remain with Leverkusen, where he’d be deified as an iconic figure if, as seems virtually assured now, he leads the club to a maiden Bundesliga title this year.
Such would be his clout in that eventuality that he’d have enormous credit in the bank even if they were to flounder next autumn.
However, Alonso will also be aware that his managerial stock might never be higher than it is now, and that the opportunity to take charge Liverpool or Bayern mightn’t come his way again.
His phenomenal season at the BayArena has conveniently coincided with two of his former clubs seeking new managers to follow on from Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel respectively. When will so many stars align so perfectly for him again?
Any coach who takes over from the 56-year-old at Anfield will know that they face an incredibly hard act to follow, but somebody has to be the first. Why now the current Leverkusen boss?
Alonso must surely be buoyed by his outstanding campaign with Die Werkself, and his five excellent years as a player with the Reds will buy him huge kudos with the Merseyside faithful, who are historically very slow to turn on managers.
The same can’t be said for those at Bayern, where even winning a Bundesliga title mightn’t be enough to spare a coach from getting the sack.
The ball is firmly in the 42-year-old’s court when it comes to where he’ll be managing next season, so he has the luxury of time to decide what’s best for him. Let’s hope the lure of a return to Liverpool proves too difficult to turn down.