Xabi Alonso 'is smart and will do what is best for him', Dominic King says

Xabi Alonso will not decide his next move in management on emotion, insists Mail Sport's Dominic King, with the Bayer Leverkusen boss considered a leading contender for the Bayern Munich and Liverpool jobs this summer.

Alonso has been strongly tipped to take over at Liverpool manager in the summer, after Jurgen Klopp sensationally announced he would step down at the end of the season.

The 42-year-old, who played at Anfield between 2004 and 2009, is understood to be on the Reds' shortlist.

Bayern Munich's decision to part ways with manager Thomas Tuchel at the end of the season could place Alonso at the centre of a tug of war between the German giants and Liverpool.

Mail Sport understands that Alonso is Bayern's No 1 choice to succeed Tuchel, with reports in Germany claiming the Spaniard favours a move to Munich.

Speaking on Mail Sport's It's All Kicking Off podcast, King stressed that Alonso will carefully consider the next steps in his managerial career.

King said Alonso will not act on the emotional connection he has with Liverpool, after playing a key role in their Champions League triumph back in 2005.

‘I thought it was interesting Jurgen Klopp spoke about him last week, calling him one of the brightest young managers in Europe.

‘He made a pithy little comment about him and Guardiola being dinosaurs now, because Alonso is only 42.

‘Sometimes I think the answer is so obvious it is staring you in the face with Alonso.

'I have said to you a couple of times he is a smart lad, he thinks about things and will do what is best for him. There will be no sort of emotion in the decision he makes.

'It won’t just be “I won the Champions League with Liverpool, I’ll go there”.

'He will be very, very clear in what he does.'

Alonso has