Xabi Alonso has been out of work only a matter of months, but his next move is already being mapped out at the very top of English football.
The former Real Madrid coach, dismissed in January after a 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final, is being lined up for a Premier League return next season, with Liverpool and Manchester City both positioning themselves for a shot at one of Europe’s most coveted young managers, according to British outlet The Sun.
He lasted less than half a season at the Santiago Bernabéu. On paper, that sounds like a failure. In reality, his reputation barely took a dent.
Because before Madrid, there was Bayer Leverkusen.
The Leverkusen legacy that changed everything
Alonso’s work in Germany still looms large over any conversation about his future. At Leverkusen he delivered something extraordinary: an unbeaten Bundesliga title in 2023–24, coupled with the German Cup. No league defeat. A domestic double. A club transformed.
That season turned him from a promising coach into a benchmark. Clubs looking for a fresh identity, a long-term project, or simply a jolt of elite-level thinking now have his name at the top of their lists.
Which brings the story back to England.
Liverpool: the emotional pull
Liverpool know exactly what Alonso brings. He is not just a name from a database; he is part of the club’s modern folklore.
He spent a key spell of his playing career at Anfield, anchoring midfield with that familiar calm authority and helping deliver the 2005 Champions League in Istanbul. For a fanbase that treasures emotional connection as much as silverware, Alonso is not just a tactician. He is a symbol.
That matters right now. Pressure is mounting on current manager Arne Slot after a bruising week that cut deep on Merseyside. A 4-0 hammering by Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals last Saturday, coupled with a dip in league form, has sharpened the debate around his future.
Alonso is viewed as the ideal successor if Liverpool decide to move on. The fit is obvious: a club he knows, a crowd that already sings his name, and a style of play that can be sold as both progressive and rooted in the club’s traditions.
But Liverpool are not alone at the table.
Manchester City: preparing for life after Pep?
Across the North West, Manchester City are quietly facing a question they have managed to avoid for years: what happens when Pep Guardiola goes?
Doubts over Guardiola’s long-term future are growing. Multiple reports suggest this could be his final season at the Etihad Stadium, and while nothing is confirmed, the possibility is serious enough for City to start sketching out contingency plans.
Alonso is firmly in that conversation. The Sun reports that City see him as a candidate to take over if Guardiola walks away at the end of the current campaign.
The logic is clear. Alonso’s Leverkusen side showed control, structure, and attacking clarity that would not look out of place in City blue. He is steeped in Guardiola’s ideas from their shared time at Bayern Munich, but he has added his own edge, his own rhythm. For City, that blend of familiarity and freshness is gold.
A looming tug-of-war
So the stage is set. On one side, Liverpool, offering history, affection, and the chance to restore a giant that feels slightly off-balance. On the other, Manchester City, offering a machine built for trophies and the opportunity to step into perhaps the most influential managerial role of the modern era.
Alonso, freshly out of Madrid and still carrying the glow of that unbeaten German campaign, will not be short of options when next summer arrives.
The only real question is this: does he choose the heart of Anfield, or the cold, clinical promise of the Etihad’s winning machine?
