Club owner reveals how Liverpool manager favourite rejected his offer with 'elegance'

Marseille president Pablo Longoria claims Xabi Alonso previously rejected the chance to join him ‘with elegance’.

Alonso, who is currently the favourite for the soon-to-be manager role at Liverpool, has been earmarked by many to be Jurgen Klopp's successor. So far this season, he has proven he can be the man given his Bayer Leverkusen side are currently unbeaten in all competitions after 30 games.

In fact, just two more games avoiding defeat will result in them matching Bayern Munich's German record. However, to do so, they will have to go through Thomas Tuchel's side this weekend in what is a delightful bit of irony.

Nevertheless, the point still stands - Alonso has been very impressive with his coaching, style of play and effortless charm on the side-lines and in front of the media, and that's exactly what Longoria has also stated, when he offered the Spaniard the manager role at Marseille.

“I went to see him [Alonso]. He told me no with an elegance. The same elegance he had when he played football, a 40-yard crossbar in his feet. He was telling me no. I should have been upset, but I almost wanted to thank him. You see that his brain goes at another speed. He knew exactly the three or four clubs he wanted to coach and was ready to wait for them.”

His current contract is not up at the German club for a while but it has since been revealed that there is a 'gentleman's agreement' between Alonso and the club when it comes to leaving for one of three clubs should the option arise - Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Liverpool. All eyes will remain on Alonso's side for the rest of the season and the potential of a clash with Liverpool in the Europa League is a mouth-watering prospect, as a real life job interview could take place before our very eyes.