Introduction to Xabi Alonso’s Potential Departure
It is not yet official, but there seems to be little doubt that Xabi Alonso will leave Bayer Leverkusen at the end of this season. After Arsenal was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and lost to arch-rival Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final, which are also on course to win the Spanish title, Carlo Ancelotti’s days in Madrid seem to be numbered. Xabi Alonso is believed to be President Florentino Perez’s preferred replacement. Although his contract is running in Leverkusen until the end of the next season, Alonso has an escape clause that would enable him to go early to accept an offer from one of his three former clubs – Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid.
The Rise of Xabi Alonso
The potential transmission fee for Leverkusen is between €15 and €20 million. So far, the 43-year-old has become evasive when reporters asked for his future. "I don’t know what’s going to happen," he said last week. A year ago, when he was courted by Liverpool and Bavaria, he made such speculation early. Alonso came to Leverkusen in October 2022 when the club was in 17th place in the Bundesliga table. The Spaniard, who has never held a head coaching position in a professional club before, promptly led them to qualify for the Europa League before reaching a little before in German football.
Achievements with Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen won their first Bundesliga title by becoming undefeated in the league in 2023-2024 before adding a second German trophy to the club’s trophy case. In the Europa League, Bayer lost to Atalanta in the final. Before this extraordinary campaign, the last cutlery of the club in 1993 was their first German Cup title. Alonso gave his players a winning mentality that they had always lacked in crucial games. The ability to regularly score games with late goals in the 2023-24 season brought the team the nickname "Latherkusen".
Bitter Defeats and Missed Opportunities
This season, however, Alonso’s team often lacked this quality. Although Bayer collected the second-highest number of points in their history, they left too many on the table with drawings. The Bayern Munich seem to go to the title with Leverkusen, albeit a significant lead in third place. Leverkusen also lost in the 16th round of the Champions League against Bavaria. The defeat against Arminia Bielefeld in the German Cup was particularly bitter for Alonso and his team. "The tactics may not be the best," admitted the coach shortly after the surprise cup outcome, and weeks later he was still wisely the surprise.
The Future of Florian Wirtz
Alonso’s expected departure could be an additional argument for superstar Florian Wirtz to go. The attacker was associated with Manchester City, but could also follow Alonso to Real Madrid. Bayern Munich would also like to sign the 21-year-old at an expected price of 120 to 130 million euros. Alonso’s potential departure could have a significant impact on Wirtz’s future, and it remains to be seen what decision he will make.
Replacement for Xabi Alonso
Should Alonso go, the top priority for the club will be to find a replacement. Club management is already tacitly doing its homework. Among the names that make rounds in the rumor mill are the former coach of Manchester United Erik Ten Hag, Imanol Alguacil, Xavi Hernandez, and Cesc Fabregas. The 53-year-old Alguacil is currently training at Real Sociedad, but has announced his intention to leave at the end of the season. Xavi, who won in addition to Alonso World Cup championships and European Championships with Spain, recently trained Barcelona (2021-2024) and won a title in La League and two Copa del Rey. Fabregas took over the head coach of the newly funded Side A Side Como last summer. It remains to be seen whether ten Hag or one of the three Spaniards actually appear in Leverkusen.
