One of Liverpool’s 2005 Champions League-winning squad could potentially be coming back to England, this time in a managerial role.
Dutch outlet De Telegraaf reported that Xabi Alonso, currently in charge of Bayer Leverkusen, is Tottenham’s first choice to fill the void left by the abrupt departures of both Antonio Conte and Cristian Stellini in recent weeks, with Ryan Mason temporarily filling the hotseat until the end of the season.
Feyenoord boss Arne Slot has also been touted as an option for Spurs, but the former Spain midfielder is believed to be the north London club’s leading candidate.
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Alonso continues to be adored by Liverpool fans for his contributions to the club between 2004 and 2009, during which time he stood out as a world-class midfield operator with an unrivalled vision to pick out passes and a knack for scoring from inside his own half of the pitch.
The 41-year-old is now making a name for himself as an excellent young coach, winning 17 of his 31 games in charge of Leverkusen so far (Transfermarkt) and taking them from 15th to sixth in the Bundesliga since assuming the reins seven months ago.
He’s also guided them to the semi-finals of the Europa League, where they’ll face Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma as the former Reds midfielder seeks his first trophy as a manger.
If he takes the Tottenham job, he wouldn’t be the first member of Rafa Benitez’s Champions League-winning side to come up against Liverpool in a Premier League game as a coach, with Steven Gerrard having faced his boyhood club as Aston Villa boss last season.
Alonso would no doubt be given a rousing reception at Anfield if he goes back there in charge of Spurs, and from the trajectory of his fledgling yet hugely promising managerial career, Daniel Levy could do a lot worse than giving the Spaniard a crack at a major English top-flight job.