Xabi Alonso has quickly emerged as the favourite to succeed Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool - and Bayer Leverkusen are unlikely to stand in his way if an approach is made. Alonso, 42, enjoyed a highly successful spell at Anfield during his playing days but left Merseyside long before Klopp arrived.
The club have won both the Premier League and the Champions League during the German's tenure, but he will stand down from his role at the end of the season. Speculation regarding Klopp's successor is already rife and Alonso's fine body of work at Leverkusen, who are currently top of the Bundesliga , has naturally seen him touted as the ideal candidate to take on the Liverpool vacancy.
A new report from BBC Sport has outlined that Leverkusen have privately expressed to Alonso that they would not stand in the Spaniard's way if he were offered the chance to coach one of Europe's elite teams. It's also understood that there is no buy-out clause in his contract, which runs until the summer of The report goes on to outline that Alonso's plan has always been to return to Liverpool or Real Madrid should his spell at Leverkusen herald success.
The former midfielder was also a very popular figure at the Bernabeu before joining Bayern Munich in It adds that Alonso already had designs on stepping into management while he was still a player and Pep Guardiola's presence at Bayern was a big factor in his move so he could work under him and learn from one of the best.
While Leverkusen's stance may boost Liverpool's hopes of prising Alonso away from Germany, his services are likely to be coveted by clubs from elsewhere. A number of elite coaches are likely to be on the market this summer and other high-profile vacancies could yet arise.
