Xabi Alonso believes Bayer Lever­kusen is the right place to continue his development as a manager after ending speculation that he would join one of his former clubs, either Liverpool or Bayern Munich. Alonso, who has a contract with Leverkusen until 2026, has become the talk of Europe and a reported target for top clubs after leading his team through an unbeaten season while challenging for three trophies. However, after reports emerged on Thursday that he would not be ­joining ­Liverpool, Alonso confirmed at a press conference before his side’s meeting with Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga on Saturday that his loyalties lie with the club that appointed him in October 2022. “Last week I had a meeting [with club officials] and informed them of the decision to continue being coach of Bayer Leverkusen,” Alonso said. “After lot of talks about my future, I used the break to reflect and make my decision. I feel this is the right place to be for me as a young coach. My job at Bayer is not over. I want to help the club, help the players to develop, the board is great … it’s all fantastic here.” He added: “All my cards on the table. I have thought about the ­decision because you need to reflect well. Once I took it I felt I needed to share it with everyone. It is a sign of respect. I informed the players at a team talk this morning. We have ­prepared in a normal way. “You guys did a lot of speculation – even since last May! It’s part of the business, and I haven’t been stressed by it. It was important it wasn’t affecting the team and the mentality of the team was good. Everything is clear.” Alonso joined Leverkusen when the club was mired in a relegation ­battle, turning things around and leading them to a sixth-place finish to qualify for the Europa League. This season, he has guided Leverkusen to the top of the Bundesliga where they are 10 points clear of the reigning champions, Bayern, with eight games left and are unbeaten in 38 matches in all competitions – a German record. Asked about Alonso’s decision, Jürgen Klopp said: “One part I can speak about is a young manager where he is doing well. Being at a club in a similar situation, I did pretty much the same and I never regretted it. That’s pretty much everything I can say about it. “He is doing an incredible job there. Leverkusen has a good team and they will probably keep the team together. That’s a possibility and not all years it is like that. So I understand he wants to do that. For the other stuff, I have nothing to say about it. That’s it.”