Bayer Leverkusen ready to set near world-record Xabi Alonso price

Bayer Leverkusen are ready to set a near-world-record price for Xabi Alonso, according to reports. Liverpool want the Spaniard.

Florian Plettenberg reports that Bayer Leverkusen could set a near-world-record price for their manager Xabi Alonso. This comes as Alonso finds himself in the sights of Europe’s giants.

Both Liverpool and Bayern Munich want to install him this summer. Jurgen Klopp will step down at Anfield, of course, while Bayern are to part ways with Thomas Tuchel after a disappointing campaign.

A disappointing campaign that has seen him fail to keep up with Alonso in the Bundesliga title race, of course.

Plettenberg reports that Alonso is very much open to the Bayern job, too, with no mention of Liverpool. He’s ‘confirming’ Alonso’s stance there.

But he also makes it clear that the Spaniard would be ‘very expensive’. Leverkusen are ready to ask for as much as £21.4m (€25m) to let Alonso go – a fee that is incredibly close to the world record.

That record is from Graham Potter’s move to Chelsea. Brighton’s accounts showed he cost them £21.5m in 2022, putting him above Julian Nagelsmann’s transfer to Bayern.

Whoever gets Alonso, then, will need to make a big commitment to make it happen. If anyone gets him, that is. Alonso still could reject both Liverpool and Bayern, hold out until 2025 and address his options.

The Real Madrid job could be available then, for instance, while Plettenberg claims there will be a €15m release clause written into his contract in 2025.

The big thing here, though, is that Alonso remains open to Bayern. Liverpool won’t blink at paying a record fee to get the manager they want, even a record one.

Thus their real problem is whether the Spaniard wants to move to Anfield. Reports certainly claim that he’s open to it – but he still has plenty of incredibly attractive options that aren’t Liverpool.