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Bayern Munich have reportedly set their sights on a former Manchester United manager if they are unsuccessful in their pursuit of Xabi Alonso.
The German giants are locked in a head-to-head battle with Liverpool for the services of the Bayern Leverkusen boss, who has led his side to the cusp of their first-ever Bundesliga title.
Alonso may still opt to remain at the BayArena, where he could still lift the German Cup and Europa League.
According to German outlet Kicker, Bayern remain hopeful of replacing Thomas Tuchel with the Spaniard but they have nevertheless seen fit to identify an alternative in the event that they do not get their man this summer.
The report goes on to claim that the club are eyeing Ralf Rangnick, who is currently in charge of Austria, following his ill-fated spell at Old Trafford.
Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso is wanted for soon-to-be vacant jobs at Bayern and Liverpool
Bayern are reportdly eyeing ex-Man United boss Ralf Rangnick as an alternative
Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi is another name on the list of candidates, though the Italian, whose appointment would reportedly be championed by one of the club’s sport directors Max Eberl, may miss out due to the fact he does not speak German.
The report notes that: ‘German is not absolutely necessary for the new Bayern coach, but it is desired, according to management.’
The links to Rangnick may seem strange to Premier League fans considering his ill-fated time at Old Trafford.
The 65-year-old won just 11 of his 29 matches as United boss, drawing nine and losing nine, having come in as caretaker boss after the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
At the time, he did not endear himself wide swathes of the club’s supporters with several damming assessments of his players towards the end of the 2021-22 campaign. Though, in light of the team’s persistent struggles some of his observations have proven astute.
The German is still highly respected in his native country, having influenced a generation of managers, as well as achieving success as a sporting director.
Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi could reportedly be set to fall out of the reckoning because he speaks no German
Rangnick endured a difficult spell with Manchester United at the end of the 2021-22 campaign
However, In the past decade, his only other managerial stint at club level came at RB Leipzig between 2015 and 2019.
He oversaw the side’s promotion to the top-flight in 2016 before guiding them to two top-four finishes in three seasons.
Rangnick is preparing to lead Austria at EURO 2024 after an impressive qualifying campaign in which they finished just a point behind Group F winners Belgium.
