Liverpool and Bayern must pay Leverkusen €25 million to sign Alonso

Liverpool and Bayern Munich have been told how much they will have to pay to prise Xabi Alonso away from Bayer Leverkusen this summer to replace Jürgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel respectively.

According to Sky Germany, the ex-Real Madrid midfielder’s contract as head coach with the Bundesliga leaders contains a termination clause, although it doesn’t come into force until 2025. However, they also claim Alonso has an agreement in place that would allow him to leave if he receives an offer he is interested in, provided Leverkusen are adequately compensated. Between €15 million ($16.25 million) and €25 million ($27.1 million) would reportedly be enough for the Spaniard to rejoin either of his former clubs.

Despite strong interest from Liverpool and Bayern, Leverkusen bosses remain hopeful of being able to hang onto Alonso beyond the summer, as sporting director Simon Rolfes outlined in an interview with German newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau.

 “I’m staying calm and optimistic. The most important thing for our senior staff is that they feel comfortable and have the feeling that they are in the right place,” said Rolfes when asked about Alonso, who will likely be the subject of an intense tug-of-war between the Premier League and Bundesliga giants.

And Rolfes believes Alonso staying another year with his current employers is a realistic possibility. “He has often said it. This is how he works with his team and his coaching staff every day”.

What if the 42-year-old decided he wanted to leave before the end of his contract in 2026? “There are many possible situations in this world. But not all of them have to happen,” Rolfes concluded, also claiming Alonso’s sole focus at the moment is on Sunday’s game against Cologne.

Another victory would extend Leverkusen’s unbeaten run to 34 games in all competitions and at least maintain their eight-point lead over Bayern as they look to win their first-ever league title.