Liverpool boost as ex-Chelsea boss Bayern Munich ‘priority’ ahead of Xabi Alonso
Liverpool have been handed a boost in their bid to secure Xabi Alonso as their next manager as rivals Bayern Munich turn their attention to Antonio Conte.
Bayern, like Liverpool, were thought to be keen on landing Alonso to replace Thomas Tuchel, who’s leaving the club at the end of the season, but competition for the Bayer Leverkusen boss, along with the significant compensation they would have to pay to secure his signature has led the German giants in a different direction.
Conte ‘the first name’ for Bayern
Repubblica claim Bayern are chasing former Chelsea and Tottenham boss Conte as their ‘first choice’ to replace Tuchel.
The ‘negotiation remains difficult’ as is the case with Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, the report claims, but the Italian ‘is the first name on the list’ of the German club.
It’s further claimed that their ‘priority’ was ‘contacted a few months ago’ over the position, but the report doesn’t go into whether Conte would be interested in taking on the role.
He’s been out of work since being sacked by Tottenham in March 2023 following his rant at chairman Daniel Levy and the club’s trophy record.
A Harry Kane reunion
A move to Bayern Munich would see him reunite with striker Harry Kane, who insisted he enjoyed working under the Italian in his time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
After Conte’s departure, Kane said: “Obviously I wish Antonio all the best. I had a great relationship with him and it was just unfortunate that for one reason or another, it didn’t quite work.
“I wish him luck in his next adventure and in the meantime we’ll continue to fight with Cristian, Ryan [Mason, acting assistant head coach] and the staff and try and achieve what we set out to.”
Bayern setting their sights on Conte clears the path for Liverpool to land Alonso, who remains the favourite to replace Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.
New sporting director Richard Hughes is the man tasked with securing Liverpool a new manager, but it’s not yet clear whether Alonso is keen on a move to the Reds or would prefer to stay at Leverkusen, who are on course for an historic treble this season.
