Xabi Alonso’s ‘dream’ is to coach Liverpool and he will leave Bayer Leverkusen for Anfield this summer, according to Bastian Schweinsteiger.
The 42-year-old Spaniard is the hot favorite to succeed Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, after the ‘tired’ German announced he will step down at the end of the season.
It comes as Alonso’s Leverkusen side sit top of the Bundesliga, ahead of Bayern Munich, and remain on course in the DFB-Pokal and UEFA Europa League.
Reports this week suggested Liverpool first contacted Alonso in November about the upcoming vacancy, but the coach has publicly insisted he is fully focused on Leverkusen, who are unbeaten in 30 games.
But former Manchester United midfielder Schweinsteiger shared some inside information about the situation while working as a television pundit.
Xabi Alonso’s ‘dream’ is to coach Liverpool, according to Bastian Schweinsteiger – who believes he will replace Jurgen Klopp (R) this summer
The former Manchester United midfielder made the comments as a TV pundit this week
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‘I know him and I’m sure it’s his dream to coach Liverpool. “I am sure he will leave Leverkusen in the summer,” he said.
Alonso’s side put that unbeaten record on the line on Saturday evening when they hosted Bayern in the Bundesliga.
If they win, they will be five points ahead of the defending champions and strong favorites to win the Meisterschale.
Lose and Bayern will go ahead of them to be on pole position and win the title for the twelfth time in a row.
Alonso played for Liverpool between 2004 and 2009 before leaving to sign for Real Madrid
Alonso, 42, is one of the most popular players in European football, with Leverkusen unbeaten in 30
If Leverkusen can avoid defeat, they will close in on Bayern’s 32-match unbeaten streak from 2020 – a record for a German club.
Liverpool, who host Burnley on Saturday afternoon, go into the weekend two points ahead of Manchester City in the Premier League title race, despite having played a game more.
Klopp hopes to go on a high and they stay alive in four competitions.
The Reds play Chelsea at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final on February 25, three days before they play Southampton in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
They will resume their Europa League campaign in the last 16 stage in March.
Other candidates for the Liverpool position include Roberto De Zerbi from Brighton, Ruben Amorim from Sporting and Julian Nagelsmann from Germany.
Leverkusen take on Harry Kane and Bayern Munich this weekend in a match that will go a long way in deciding who wins the Bundesliga title
Leverkusen currently has a two-point lead over the reigning champions at the summit