He won the Champions League with Liverpool and will now face Bellingham as a rival

Bayern Leverkusen, a historic Bundesliga club owned by Bayer Pharmaceuticals, are set to sign Xabi Alonso, the former Liverpool star who is now the most prestigious Spanish coach to have yet to coach in the First Division. With the contract still to be formalised, sources close to the deal say the agreement is complete. The Reds' eternal No16 travelled to Germany on Wednesday afternoon to sign the document that will link him to Leverkusen, which is presided over by Spaniard Fernando Carro.

His signing comes just months after Borussia Monchengladbach tried to sign him without success. If the deal goes through, Alonso will take his place on the Bay Arena bench next Saturday at 15:30 when they host Schalke 04. Born in Toulouse 40 years ago, the coach has completed one of the most brilliant tenures in Spanish youth football in recent memory. His two years at the helm of Real Sociedad B, the San Sebastian club's reserve team, have seen them promoted to the second division for the first time after a 60-year absence in the category.

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Carro announced on German television channel Sport 1 on Saturday that the club was "ready" to take over from the Spanish-Swiss Gerardo Seoane. The manager's statements were surprising for their forcefulness, as well as for the vehicle used. Seoane arrived at the club in May 2021 and qualified for the Champions League after a remarkable campaign. But he started this season by losing the opening cup match against SV Elversberg (4-3), a third-tier club. It was early August and it became clear that something was wrong with the team. Five defeats, two draws and one win ended Seoane's tenure and sent Carro in search of a replacement.

The choice came as no surprise to the world of professional football, certainly not in Germany. For years now, Europe's top clubs have sent emissaries to scrutinise Alonso's training sessions and matches in charge of Real Sociedad B. The verdict has been unanimous. The verdict has been unanimous. The man, the scouts say, is not just a charismatic figure with a formidable track record as a world and European champion and two-time Champions League winner in a run that has taken him to Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern with repeated success.

Xabi Alonso to coach Bayer Leverkusen

Off the field, he has shown the character and managerial skills to be worthy of a chance at the top level. Leverkusen is a tempting venture. They are third in Champions League Group B, level on points with second-placed Porto. With three games remaining in the group phase, and a visit to the Metropolitano on 26 October, their chances of qualification remain almost intact.