Alonso is confident in his decision to stay at Bayer Leverkusen and responded to the Arsenal legend

After Jürgen Klopp announced in January that he would leave the team at the end of the current season, many speculated that Xabi Alonso would be the new manager of Liverpool. Bayern Munich also showed interest in him, as they plan to change coaches in the upcoming summer break.

However, last month, Alonso himself dismissed all rumors and stated that he had decided to stay with Bayer Leverkusen for at least another year.

His decision was met with mixed reactions, and some experts were surprised by it. Legendary Arsenal player and former England international Paul Merson commented that Alonso had missed a golden opportunity, one that might never come again in his life.

Responding to Merson's remarks, Xabi Alonso addressed his decision during an interview with AS, stating:

"Everyone is responsible for their own decisions.

I hope that my decision to stay will prove to be the right one. I am convinced it will be. I am enjoying the moment and, of course, I want to continue improving. Paul Merson makes decisions that I don't."

Reflecting on the current season, during which Bayer Leverkusen has already won the Bundesliga and continues to compete in the Europa League and the German Cup, Alonso added:

"I am very pleased with the results we are achieving. The season has been fantastic not only because of the results but also because of the style of play."

Under Xabi Alonso's leadership, Bayer Leverkusen managed to clinch their first-ever Bundesliga title. This significant achievement coincided with the club's 120th anniversary this year.