Richard Keys has slammed Xabi Alonso for declining Liverpool and has raised doubts about his drive for opting to stay at Bayer Leverkusen.
Alonso was a strong contender to take the place of Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager this summer, but he was also under consideration by Bayern Munich as they seek to appoint a successor for Thomas Tuchel, who is departing at the end of the season.
However, Alonso has publicly announced that he will spend another season with Leverkusen, who are currently 13 points ahead at the top of the Bundesliga, and are also in the running to win the Europa League and the DFB-Pokal.
However, the decision has been strongly criticized by Keys, who insists that the 42-year-old should have moved on from Leverkusen this summer.
‘Will there be a time again when jobs that he would be linked with, and has been, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, we threw Barcelona in there, Manchester United, Real Madrid has been mentioned,’ Keys said while presenting beIN Sports’ Sunday coverage.
‘Never will there be a time again where those jobs will be available to him.
‘He’s got a choice. And never will there be a time where he’s coveted to the degree that he is now, ever again. Instead of taking one of those jobs he’s decided to stay at Bayer Leicester-kusen.
‘The reason I describe them as such is because they will never, ever have a season like they’ve had.
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‘Where does he take them from here? I think he should have had the courage to take one of the jobs that is better than his, but he’s decided to sit safe.
‘And that led me to question the size of his cojones. Now’s the time, is it not?
‘Right now, I think they’ve [Liverpool] have dodged a bullet. Now’s the time, he cannot have a better season at Bayer Leicester-kusen than he’s had.’
When it was suggested that Alonso may not feel he’s ready to take the Liverpool job, Keys replied: ‘Then I would question his ambition.’
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