Liverpool have reportedly offered Xabi Alonso a three-year deal as they step up efforts to land their number one managerial target.
The former Reds midfielder has been at the top of the club’s shortlist of potential replacements for the outgoing Jurgen Klopp ever since the German confirmed he would be stepping down at Anfield at the end of the season.
Alonso’s work at Bayer Leverkusen, who are eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga means that the 42-year-old is one of the most highly-rated coaches in Europe, with Bayern Munich also said to be tracking him as they look to replace the outgoing Thomas Tuchel.
According to TEAMtalk, Alonso’s preference is to return to Anfield and replace Klopp, with positive talks between the Reds and Alonso’s representatives having already taken place.
A three-year deal is said to be on the table, but any announcement would not come until Klopp has left Anfield in the summer.
The report adds that Alonso does not see the Bayern Munich job as much of a step forward in his management career, given his success in the Bundesliga this season, where Leverkusen are on track for their first-ever league title.
Bayern confirmed last week that former Chelsea boss Tuchel will be leaving the club this summer, a year earlier than planned as a part of a ‘sporting realignment’.
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