Xabi Alonso has revealed the main reason why he chose to reject Liverpool in favour of staying with Bayer Leverkusen.
Since joining the Bundesliga side, Alonso has turned Leverkusen’s fortunes around.
This season, Alonso has led Leverkusen to the top of the Bundesliga table and are closing in on winning the title.
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Currently, they are 16 points clear ahead of reigning champions Bayern Munich.
As a result, Alonso has been linked with a move to Liverpool to replace Jurgen Klopp, who is going to leave Anfield at the end of the season.
Last month, Alonso pledged his future with Leverkusen, he said: “I had a good meeting with Bayer Leverkusen, and I informed them that I will stay and continue at the club.
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“After a lot of talks about my future, I used the break to reflect and make my decision. This is the place for me.”
Now, in a recent interview with TNT Sports, Alonso revealed why he decided to continue with Leverkusen.
He said: “There were many reasons [for deciding to start at the club]. After one year, we're building a team, we're building a great spirit here.
“There were many reasons and so many players. The season has been great so far, and for sure we want to keep having this thing together.”
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Alonso added: “I felt part of it. After one year, it didn't feel like the right timing, and that's why I'm committed.”
Speaking about West Ham United, Alonso said: “We know that we are beatable, but we fight not to be beaten. For sure, the team has shown a great character.
“In tough situations, we have been able to deal with tough moments to win football games and with a great mentality to believe that we could make it to the last minute.”
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He continues: “It wasn't easy, but it's down to our football, to our ideas, to our style to not put long balls in difficult situations, in an emergency, that we lose control.
“We want to understand why we do things, why do things happen. They do understand, the players. "It's down to the players to decide what happens on the pitch, [we] try to help them to make the right ones.”
After missing out on Alonso, it has been reported that Liverpool are now targetting Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim as Klopp's replacement.
Topics: Liverpool, Xabi Alonso, Bayer Leverkusen, Football, Premier League
Marcus Chan