Liverpool set to miss out as Alonso favourite rules out Bayer Leverkusen exit

Suraj Radia

• 29 Feb 2024 13:46 CST
• 3 min read

Liverpool will look to raid Bayer Leverkusen for Xabi Alonso in the summer but they may be set for disappointment if they are hoping to bring Florian Wirtz with him, with the wonderkid’s father claiming that his son will not look to leave the German side anytime soon.

Alonso is thought to be Liverpool’s top target to replace Jurgen Klopp, who announced earlier this year that he would be stepping down at the end of the season.

Wirtz has been a huge part of Leverkusen’s success this season, with the 20-year-old boasting more assists than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues in all competitions this season.

The playmaker has battled back from serious injury and attracted the interest from Bayern Munich and Manchester City along with Liverpool, but Wirtz’s father told German outlet KSTA that his son will look to see out the remaining three years of his contract.

“It will still take some time until he is able to achieve these performances consistently. Only then can we talk about superlatives and higher qualifications,” Hans Wirtz said.

“Florian has a contract in Leverkusen until 2027. That will also roughly be the amount of time he will spend in Leverkusen. There is no answer to what happens when. We should wait for the next two years and then we will see where the path leads.”

Creative maestro Wirtz looking to continue Leverkusen development

Leverkusen have been one of the standout sides in Europe this season, topping the Bundesliga by eight points and yet to taste domestic defeat, while they are also into the knockout stages of the Europa League.

Wirtz has contributed five goals and ten assists in the league along with creating seven more goals in other competitons – four more than any other player in Europe’s major divisions.

Liverpool are expected to heavily pursue Alonso but the Spaniard has yet to confirm his intentions, with Bayern Munich and Barcelona also likely to try and tempt the highly-rated manager away from Leverkusen.

However, Wirtz’s future, at least for the short-term, appears to be in Leverkusen and, with the club taking new strides on the pitch, the German international has no desire to rush into any major transfers this summer.