'Terrible decision' - Alonso slammed for spurning Liverpool

Stuart Telford

• 30 Mar 2024 16:11 GMT
• 3 min read

Xabi Alonso has confirmed that he will stay at Bayer Leverkusen beyond the end of the season - "a terrible decision" according to former Reds winger Joe Cole.

Alonso was a world class player who won the Champions League with Liverpool and Real Madrid before three consecutive Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich, and has shown similar promise as a manager.

His Bayer Leverkusen lead Bayern by 10 points at the top of the Bundesliga this season, a handful of games away from securing their first ever German top-flight title, and his former employers have been interested.

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Real were the first to be linked before Carlo Ancelotti extended his contract in December, whist Liverpool and Bayern are both now looking for new managers with Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel set to leave their posts at the end of the season.

Alonso staying put

Alonso could have taken either job but confirmed on Friday that he would stay put for now, and Cole, who more famously represented West Ham, Chelsea and England, thinks he has made a mistake.

"I think it's a terrible decision," he told TNT Sports. "He is the hottest property in world football, in management right now. A manager's stock goes up and down so quickly. I think he should have made the move this summer because in a year's time it could be completely different.

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"Keeping this [Leverkusen] team together is going to be tough enough because they've got some fantastic players and all the big giants in Europe are going to be looking at them."

Florian Wirtz is perhaps Leverkusen's most saleable asset, but his father and agent recently confirmed he would not be looking to leave for another few years. Free-scoring Dutch 'right-back' Jeremie Frimpong is another who has suitors, in England in particular, as does striker Victor Boniface.