Pep Guardiola’s comments about Xabi Alonso speak volumes as Man City plan comes to light

Pep Guardiola has made his thoughts on Xabi Alonso very clear with the Bayer Leverkusen boss reportedly a target for Manchester City.

The 53-year-old City boss is yet to decide on his future at the club, which, as it stands, is set to come to an end next summer when his contract expires. Guardiola is refusing to be rushed into making a decision on his future.

Nevertheless, club chiefs are believed to be preparing for the Catalan's exit and the Bayer Leverkusen boss is said to be at the top of their list. The ex-Barcelona manager knows Alonso well, having previously worked with him for two years at Bayern Munich.

The ex- Liverpool midfielder enjoyed a thrilling campaign at Leverkusen, winning the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal without losing a single domestic match. If Guardiola's previous comments on his former midfielder are anything to go by, he would be more than happy to see Alonso take his place in the dugout of the Etihad Stadium.

When Alonso was being considered as a successor to Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, Guardiola was pushed for his thoughts on the matter. He said: "That's a question for Liverpool and of course I'm not going to answer because I don't know the ideas that I have.

"But if you ask me about the job he's doing...honestly...wow! The only team that's unbeaten in all competitions, fighting in the way with Bayern Munich there.

"Now they are in the position that they cannot win the Bundesliga, they can lose the Bundesliga but everybody thinks it's done. Now is the most difficult thing because it's not done until it's done.

"But, wow! Not just the way they play, they didn't lose one game in the Europa League, the Pokal in Germany, the Bundesliga."

Similarly to Guardiola, Alonso also plays an attractive, free-flowing style of football which combines patient build-up play with speed and athleticism. Leverkusen are currently fourth after seven Bundesliga matches, three points away from current table toppers Bayern Munich.

They occupy the same position in the Champions League table, having begun their campaign with a dominant 4-0 away demolition of Feyenoord and an impressive 1-0 home victory over AC Milan. Guardiola would not have been surprised by Alonso's impressive start to life as a manager.

He still remembers Alonso's inquisitive nature and footballing intelligence when he was still playing for Bayern Munich. Guardiola added: "I was incredibly fortunate to have him one and a half years or two seasons. He's such an intelligent player.

"Holding midfielders ask you questions and how curious they are about the game, you realise that if this guy retires he will be at home, he will be annoyed, nothing to do. Normally holding midfielders like him, [Javier] Mascherano, [Sergio] Busquets, Rodri, [Ilkay] Gundogan, they will be involved in football for sure because they have a vision, their perspective is different.

"He was a top class player otherwise you cannot play Liverpool, Madrid and Bayern Munich. He took good decisions and I'm so happy for him, he deserves it, he's a lovely, lovely guy."

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of MirrorFootball content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.