REVEALED: What Liverpool missed out on as Leverkusen CEO gives inside track on Xabi Alonso

When Liverpool were linked with a move to bring Xabi Alonso to Anfield to replace Jürgen Klopp, their former midfielder was in the midst of an historic title race in the Bundesliga and the Reds' interest had the potential to derail his chance of success.

The 2023-24 season proved a major turning point for both Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen, ushering in a new era at both clubs, but things could have worked out very differently for both had Alonso decided to return to Merseyside rather than commit to the Bayer project.

But with Liverpool circling, Leverkusen made an early and important announcement during the March international break, putting those rumours to bed once and for all: Xabi Alonso was staying.

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Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro was determined to keep Alonso at the club. He knows just how important the former Spain international is at the BayArena. Carro has formed an unstoppable trio at B04 with Sporting Managing Director Simon Rolfes and Alonso, so unstoppable that they went 51 games unbeaten last season and recorded the first-ever invincible campaign in Bundesliga history, a feat Bayern Munich have never been able to achieve.

Carro and Rolfes have turned the club into a European superpower behind the scenes, with Alonso's exceptional combination of man management and tactical nous making Bayer Leverkusen one of the most entertaining and unrelenting teams on the pitch.

After winning the domestic double last season, Leverkusen started the 2024-25 campaign off with a miraculous comeback against Stuttgart to win the German Supercup for the first time in the club's history. Trailing 2-1 with 5 minutes to go, and being a man down since the 37th minute, Leverkusen kept calm and patient, confident in the knowledge that they could get an equaliser through their tried-and-tested brand of intricate passing and movement rather than the hit-and-hope get-it-in-the-mixer approach most coaches would opt for with a trophy slipping through their fingers.

Substitute striker Patrik Schick provided that crucial equaliser in the 88th minute as Leverkusen split Stuttgart apart despite the man disadvantage, setting up a victory on penalties which was always inevitable after Alonso's teams had come from behind time and again last season.

That victory was made possible by Alonso's extension at Bayer Leverkusen when he easily could have been on the touchline at Anfield this weekend.

Xabi Alonso a coach full of qualities

Carro revealed that keeping Alonso is crucial to Leverkusen's future, but is also keenly aware that teams like Liverpool will come knocking again and that he and the club must be prepared for all eventualities.

"For this year, it was extremely important," Carro told Anfield Watch.

"After such success, it was important to keep players and important to keep him, because of course, he's the key guy in the locker room and the key guy that everyone respects. He has shown how ambitious he is, how humble he is, how experienced he is, and how well he can deal with the locker room.

"It has been very important for us, and it's important for us that he stays longer. But we know how football works and we have to prepared as a club for a time after Xabi Alonso.

"It doesn't matter if it's 2025, 26, 27, whenever, we as a club have to be prepared for a time after Xabi Alonso because he will not stay here forever, this is clear. For this year, it was extremely important and we hope next year it will be the same."

How Liverpool unsettled Leverkusen over Xabi Alonso

Around the same time Klopp announced his intentions to end his era at Anfield, Thomas Tuchel's imminent departure at Bayern Munich was also confirmed, meaning that two of Alonso's former clubs would be without a manager for 2024-25.

Rolfes, a former midfielder at Leverkusen who now finds himself in the backroom and has quickly become one of the most influential figures in German football, admits that the rumours around Alonso after Klopp's own shock statement were a major distraction that his club did not need.

Despite the speculation, the 26-time Germany international was confident that Leverkusen could convince the coveted coach to stay.

Asked by Anfield Watch about Liverpool's move to appoint Arne Slot to create his own era on Merseyside, Rolfes expressed relief that the Reds had moved on - for now, at least.

"They won't be back? That's important information," Rolfes replied.

"At the end, it was not that difficult, my concern was whether the discussions in the newspaper will influence the team in this season. It's one thing in the summer that the coach or players could leave you, but that's summer. In March, April, May, it's more important than in June or July for our club because if we're not winning this season's German Championship, when might we win it again? That was my concern.

"In the conversation with him, I always had a good feeling. It was not helpful that every four weeks a coach from one of his former teams was leaving. The conversations were quite open and transparent, so I always had a good feeling that he would stay.

"I think the club culture, the way we work here, the way we work together helps a lot."

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As Slot recorded a 2-0 victory at Ipswich Town to become the first Liverpool manager since Gerard Houllier in 1998 to win their debut Premier League game, Alonso started his season with more silverware and sent out a reminder to Bayern Munich that Bayer Leverkusen - and Xabi Alonso - are here to stay.

Liverpool caused Leverkusen a few headaches along the way, but the end result looks like it's a win-win for all parties.