STEVE MCMANAMAN has claimed that Xabi Alonso is waiting for his dream job.
The Spaniard is one of the hottest managerial prospects in Europe following his success at Bayer Leverkusen.
Alonso, 42, is one win away from winning the Bundesliga title for the first time in Leverkusen’s history.
The club are also in the final of the DFB-Pokal and are in command against West Ham in the Europa League quarter-finals.
Leverkusen’s performances have impressed Europe’s biggest clubs with the likes of Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid all being linked with him.
It was expected that he would return to Anfield following Jurgen Klopp’s exit this summer, but he has committed himself to Leverkusen for one more year.
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McManaman believes that Alonso is waiting to replace Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid.
The Italian manager’s contract at the Santiago Bernabéu expires in 2026 but is has been claimed that he could step-down before.
McManaman told Betfred: “I don’t know for sure but the Real Madrid job will always be on the horizon.
“Xabi has a house out in Madrid and has history at the club.
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“If Carlo Ancelotti is going to step down next year, it’s another year for Xabi to get experience under his belt and that move wouldn’t surprise me whatsoever.
“However, in a years’ time, you have no idea what will be happening at Bayern Munich and elsewhere.
“Are Paris Saint-Germain going to be looking for a new manager? Is Pep Guardiola going to be at Manchester City in two years time? You just never know.
“I think it’s the right decision for Xabi to remain with Bayer Leverkusen for another year and put the rumours to bed for the time being.
“Now he can concentrate on winning the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal.
“He’s got a great chance of winning a domestic double when you consider that Leverkusen are coming up against Kaiserslautern, who’re in the second tier of German football.
“He’s got a great opportunity to create history at Bayer Leverkusen and the pressure will definitely be on him next year, but he’s learning all the time and that’s what we should let him do.”
Liverpool have had to move on from appointing Alonso this summer to replace Klopp.
Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim is believed to be the most likely to take the job at Anfield.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
