'Met the wish' - Liverpool handed Jeremie Frimpong boost as official statement released

Bayer Leverkusen have confirmed that Xabi Alonso will leave the club at the end of the season.

The former Liverpool midfielder has achieved greatness at the German side. When he landed his maiden head coach role in October 2022, Leverkusen were battling relegation. But the following season, Alonso guided Die Werkself to glory. They won the Bundesliga title without losing a game, ending Bayern Munich’s 11-year dominance. It was the first German title Leverkusen ever claimed. In addition, the DFB-Pokal was yielded - and the only game the club lost all season was against Atalanta in the Europa League final.

It came as no surprise that Alonso was in the reckoning for the Liverpool job after it emerged that Jurgen Klopp would leave his post, while Bayern Munich were also keen to replace Thomas Tuchel. However, the Spaniard opted to remain at the BayArena to continue his development rather than join either of his ex-clubs.

This campaign, Leverkusen have been unable to fend off the might of Bayern - finishing second in the Bundesliga and being knocked out of the Champions League by their rivals. And now Alonso is ready for a fresh challenge. It has been confirmed he will leave Die Werkself at the end of the season, a year before his contract was due to expire, and is expected to replace Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid.

A club statement said: “Bayer 04 Leverkusen and head coach Xabi Alonso will part company after more than two and half years together. The champions of Germany, DFB Pokal and Supercup winners of 2024 have met the wish of the Spaniard to terminate his contract, originally due to run to the summer of 2026, after the end of this season. Bayer 04 will announce the successor as head coach at the appropriate time.”

Sporting managing director Simon Rolfes said: “Together with Xabi, we have put together a team that has impressed the whole football world through quality on the pitch and mentality. We are proud of the big steps forward and the standing of the club today and wish Xabi all the best in his future roles. I'm sure our paths will often cross again."

But with Alonso bringing the curtain down on his time at Leverkusen, it could spark the end of a golden period. Several members of the current squad may leave. Centre-back Jonathan Tah has already admitted he will not be signing a new contract. Attacking sensation Florian Wirtz is reportedly edging closer to a switch to Bayern.

And Alonso’s departure may see Jeremie Frimpong also pursue pastures new. The Netherlands international has been an excellent servant since his arrival from Celtic in January 2022, registering 29 goals and 44 assists in 189 appearances.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold confirming that he will depart Liverpool this summer - and set to join Alonso at Real Madrid - Frimpong has been identified as a potential replacement and has a reported release clause of around £33 million in his current contract.

It has already been suggested that Frimpong is ‘ready to say goodbye’ to Leverkusen. The fact that Alonso will no longer be in the hot seat could strengthen the 24-year-old’s desire to seek a new challenge.