What Xabi Alonso has told Bayer Leverkusen 'many times' about Liverpool manager links

Bayer Leverkusen's managing director is confident that Xabi Alonso will remain with the club beyond this season despite links with Liverpool as well as Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

Anfield boss Jurgen Klopp announced in January that he would be stepping down from his post along with his entire backroom staff. And former Reds midfielder Alonso has been widely touted as Klopp's successor, given his ongoing success at Bayer Leverkusen.

It will be the end of an era as Liverpool begin searching for their first new manager since October 2015 and Klopp will hope to bow out with a trophy-laden campaign. Meanwhile, Alonso is earning plenty of plaudits for his transformative effect at Leverkusen, who are currently eight points clear of Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga.

Alonso's excellent start to his managerial career recently led to a report from Bild that Liverpool had contacted the Spaniard's agent about their upcoming vacancy, while he's also been touted for potential moves to Real and Bayern - having also featured for both clubs as a player. However, it appears that Leverkusen have anticipated interest in Alonso and managing director Simon Rolfes has insisted that he is unfazed by the situation, reports The Liverpool Echo.

"I remain calm and optimistic. The most important thing for managers is that they feel comfortable and have the feeling that they are in the right place," Rolfes told Frankfurter Rundschau. "Xabi knows what he has at the club. He has said that many times. This is how he works with his team and his coaching team every day."

Leverkusen have not lost a single match in all competitions since the season began. Alonso took over as manager of Leverkusen in October 2022 when they were struggling at the