Thomas Tuchel running out of time to save Bayern Munich job with interest in Xabi Alonso

The growing uncertainty over Thomas Tuchel’s future at Bayern Munich has raised the prospect of the German giants rivalling Liverpool in the pursuit of Xabi Alonso.

Tuchel’s position at Bayern has become increasingly precarious after the 1-0 defeat in the first leg of their last-16 Champions League away to Lazio. This came just five days after being outplayed 3-0 by Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen who now have a five-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga.

The second leg of the Champions League tie is now regarded as crucial in determining whether Tuchel will even last the season at Bayern.

Before then they play three vital league games – against Bochum on Sunday and then RB Leipzig and Freiburg and cannot afford to slip another further behind Leverkusen in the title race having been crowned champions for the past 11 campaigns.

There is also a growing sense that Tuchel himself may be unsettled at Bayern and could be considering his own future at the club. The former Chelsea head coach’s contract runs until June 2025.

Ideally Bayern do not want to address the situation until the summer but Alonso is, clearly, a coach that they admire. Liverpool are already considering their plans following Jurgen Klopp’s announcement that he will leave and the former midfielder immediately emerged as the clear favourite.

It is understood that Alonso has mapped out where he wants his career to head and both Liverpool and Bayern are clubs he is interested in, at some stage.

The 42-year-old expected to spend at least one more year at Leverkusen but the opportunity to join Liverpool or Bayern, two of his former clubs, might be too great to turn down.

Alonso has also been tracked by another club he played for, Real Madrid, but Carlo Ancelotti has agreed a deal to stay on for another season.

Speaking after the defeat by Lazio in Rome, the Bayern sporting director, Christoph Freund, said: “Of course Tuchel is struggling with the situation, which is very difficult for all of us. We are all in the same boat. It is not easy, but we will get out of this together. That is our goal.”

Even so Bayern have suffered their first back-to-back defeats in four years and it is the manner of the losses, with Harry Kane struggling and barely provided with a chance, as much as the results that has caused so much frustration.

Tuchel has also now lost 10 games in 43, as many as his predecessor Julian Nagelsmann, who was sacked with the 50-year-old replacing him last March, in 84.