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Since Jurgen Klopp announced his departure from Liverpool in January, the Reds have been consistently linked with Xabi Alonso to take over the reins.

However, yesterday evening, news broke from Paul Joyce that the former Liverpool man would be staying at Bayer Leverkusen for at least one more season.

This was further confirmed today by Fabrizio Romano who has claimed that an ‘announcement‘ will ‘follow in public‘ later today.

However, one key detail which he included was the fact that there is a release clause within Alonso’s contract which will allow him to leave his station in 2025, if he chooses to do so.

Although the announcement of Alonso staying at Leverkusen for another season was only confirmed yesterday evening, earlier in the day, Bayern Munich’s president, Uli Hoeness claimed it would be “very difficult” to acquire the Spaniard’s services.

“I feel that it will be very difficult to sign Xabi Alonso, not to say probably impossible,” he told Das Erste via Fabrizio Romano.

“I can certainly imagine him staying at Bayer Leverkusen to continue his job.”

His doubts were seemingly confirmed which means that both Liverpool and Bayern’s top candidate to manage their teams next season has been taken off the market.

Although this isn’t the end of the world for either team, the affinity that Alonso would’ve likely had with both teams would’ve been second to none.

In addition, the form that he has managed to produce out of his Bayer Leverkusen team has made the club one of the most feared in the Bundesliga.

Leverkusen are yet to lose a game in Germany’s top flight this season and find themselves on 70 points.

However, aside from Liverpool and Bayern, there was another one of Alonso’s former team’s in the running for the Spaniard.

That team being, Real Madrid.

Real Madrid find themselves atop of La Liga and on course to win the title come the end of the season.

Although Carlo Ancelotti only recently signed an extension to his current deal to keep him at the club until 2026, Los Blanco’s were monitoring the progress of Alonso this term.

However, yesterday’s news broke, it was evident that his decision was to stay with Leverkusen for another term.

But, as Florentino Perez already had Ancelotti to manage the club for next season, this wasn’t too much of a blow to the Spanish club.

According to a report from ESPN as summarised by SPORT, the Spaniard’s ‘strategy‘ all along was to aim for a possible return to Real Madrid in 2025.

The report goes on to say that Alonso ‘did not want to talk about his future ‘ until the end of the season.

It also says that Liverpool are ‘already negotiating‘ the arrival of Sporting manager, Ruben Amorim.

Although the former Reds man has a multitude of options at his feet this season, he knows that if his performances carry on as they are now into next season, they will still be there.

However his ‘clear target‘ would be Real Madrid rather than that of Liverpool and Bayern Munich.

With this in mind, Real Madrid’s ‘number one target‘ for Ancelotti’s replacement would be that of Alonso with the potential of Kylian Mbappe leading their squad.