Xabi Alonso 'has been clear' about next step after Bayer Leverkusen amid Liverpool links

Xabi Alonso has revealed he will make his own decisions when he feels right - as he continues to be linked with both Liverpool and Real Madrid.

Alonso, who is currently in charge of Bayer Leverkusen, has been heavily linked with the Real job this season, as it is being widely claimed that Carlo Ancelotti is set to leave the Santiago Bernabeu next summer.

As well as being linked with the La Liga giants, Alonso has also been named as a possible successor to Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool. The midfielder made 143 appearances for the Reds during his five years at Anfield.

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As part of the speculation linking Alonso with an emotional return to Anfield, Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro denied the existence of a clause in the 42-year-old’s contract that would allow him to become the next Liverpool manager.

But when asked about what could come next in his managerial journey, Alonso suggested that he was in no rush to leave Leverkusen.

“It depends on if you want to be pushed to take other people’s decisions or if you want to make your own decisions,” he told the Guardian.

“And so far, I’ve been clear. I will take my own decisions when I feel it is the right moment for whatever. So that’s going to happen for sure.”

The Spaniard has coached Leverkusen to a flying start in the Bundesliga and last year's Europa League semi-finalists top of the German top-flight after 12 games.

Opening up on his time in Germany, Alonso revealed: “I had the approach that there was a big potential.

“I was not given the expectations that we need to reach Europe. The [idea of the] moment was, we need to get better. We