Xabi Alonso reveals relationship with Liverpool after manager job snub
- Alonso was Liverpool's priority target to replace Jurgen Klopp this summer
- Spaniard publicly rejected interest from Reds & Bayern Munich to stay with Bayer Leverkusen
- Arne Slot later announced as new Liverpool manager
By Tom Gott
Xabi Alonso insists his relationship with Liverpool remains as strong as ever despite his decision to snub the Reds' attempts to hire him as their next manager.
Alonso was the priority target when Jurgen Klopp revealed his decision to step down this summer but, after fielding calls from both Liverpool and Bayern Munich, he publicly stressed his commitment to Bayer Leverkusen.
Liverpool ultimately opted for Arne Slot as their new manager but Alonso remains on the radar for a future job, and the former midfielder admitted he still has strong feelings towards his old club.
"For sure, my bond with Liverpool is there and it's still there," he told CNN. "So there's no kind of issue with that."
Alonso also admitted he felt too attached to Bayer Leverkusen to jump ship at this point in their journey.
"All these decisions, they need to be thorough," he said. "You need to really think about them. And it was more about what I had, not what I'm missing."
Alonso remains under contract in Germany until the summer of 2026 and remains on the radar of his last three clubs: Liverpool, Bayern and Real Madrid.
For now, however, Liverpool have put their faith in Slot. The Dutchman started work earlier this month and has been joined at Anfield by assistant Sipke Hulshoff and performance coach Ruben Peeters, while reports suggest Slot is also hopeful of adding Etienne Reijnen, another assistant, to his backroom team.
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