With two months left in the ongoing campaign, Bayern Munich have stepped up their efforts to find a new coach. The Bavarian club announced their decision to part ways with Thomas Tuchel at the end of the season in February. They are looking to have a deal in place for a new coach before the end of the current campaign.
Bayern have confirmed their interest in hiring Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso as the new head coach. The Bavarian club has reportedly held preliminary talks with Alonso. They face stiff competition from Liverpool for the Spanish coach’s signature.
Along with pursuing a deal for Xabi Alonso, Bayern are also sounding out to the other coaches who feature on their list. According to SportBild, Bayern’s director of sport, Max Eberl, held talks with Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi. The Italian boss has been previously linked with a move to Bavaria.
De Zerbi will attract interest from several top clubs in the summer. The Italian coach has done a phenomenal job at Brighton in the last two seasons. He helped Brighton to qualify for Europe last season. Under De Zerbi, Brighton play attractive football and get the best out of young players.
Roberto De Zerbi reportedly has a fixed release clause in his contract at Brighton. Bayern will not have to negotiate with Brighton if they decide to hire De Zerbi. Meanwhile, Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg has reported that Alonso will join Bayern over Liverpool if he leaves Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.
🇩🇪 Sky Germany's Florian Plettenberg understands that if Xabi Alonso leaves Bayer Leverkusen this summer, he will join Bayern Munich over Liverpool. pic.twitter.com/MS0Nod3aql
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 22, 2024
Bayern are certainly looking for a coach who can implement an attractive style of football while competing for silverware. As things stand, Alonso and De Zerbi are the prime contenders to replace Tuchel at the end of the season.
Bayer Leverkusen are currently competing for three trophies, including the Bundesliga. A decision from Leverkusen may come at the end of the season as they remain focused on winning as many trophies as possible. Bayern wouldn’t mind that scenario as long as they get the nod from Alonso to succeed Tuchel.
If the Spaniard decides against moving to Bavaria, Bayern will quickly activate the release clause of De Zerbi. Eberl has suggested that there are several names on their list for the coaching position. The Bavarian club has probably touched base with all these targets during the international break to gauge their interest in becoming Bayern’s head coach. Eberl and Bayern would like to sort out the coaching appointment sooner rather than later, which will help them to prepare for next season after a disappointing Bundesliga campaign.