Liverpool already 'working on' Xabi Alonso appointment according to rival president

Bayern Munich honorary president Uli Hoeness has claimed Liverpool are already working on appointing Bayer Leverkusen boss and former midfielder Xabi Alonso. The Reds are in need of a new manager with Jurgen Klopp announcing he will leave at the end of the current season.

Klopp will be a tough act to follow, delivering huge success to the Anfield faithful, including a Champions League title and a first ever Premier League crown. With that in mind, the Reds must choose their next boss carefully, hoping to avoid spending a number of years in transition post Klopp.

It seems the lead candidate is former Liverpool midfielder and current Leverkusen boss Alonso, who has his current club at the top of Bundesliga, leading Bayern Munich by 10 points. The problem is that Bayern are also searching for a new manager having agreed Thomas Tuchel's departure at the end of this season.

And Bayern's honorary president Hoeness has claimed both Bayern and Liverpool are attempting to lure Alonso ahead of the summer. "Clubs like Liverpool, Real Madrid, Leverkusen and FC Bayern are working on it," Hoeness told Ran Sport.

"He's proven that he can be a coach for the big time. There are hardly any coaches who come into question who are currently free, who don't have a job or who are on sabbatical. It's not so easy to tell them that FC Bayern is the measure of all things."

It would be a controversial choice for Alonso to swap teams within the same country at this stage, perhaps handing Liverpool an advantage, not to mention the Spaniard already has an emotional connection with the Reds. Though, a Leverkusen departure isn't set in stone, given he is under contract there until 2026. Real Madrid's interest is questionable given they agreed a new contract with current boss Carlo Ancelotti in late December.