Bayer Leverkusen are considering sacking manager Gerardo Seoane and are looking at appointing Xabi Alonso as his replacement, sources have told ESPN.

Seoane will be in charge for Leverkusen's Champions League Group B game with FC Porto on Tuesday, but his future is uncertain after a poor start to the Bundesliga season with the club sitting 17th after picking up five points from eight games.

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Alonso has been out of work since leaving Real Sociedad B in May after a successful three years in charge. Sources told ESPN that he would welcome the challenge of turning around Leverkusen's season.

Seoane managed Leverkusen to a third-place finish in the Bundesliga in his debut campaign last year, qualifying for the Champions League, but they have struggled so far this season.

Sources told ESPN that Alonso has emerged as a leading candidate to replace Seoane over the last week.

Germany's Sport1 reported that Leverkusen had contacted Thomas Tuchel, who was sacked by Chelsea last month, but the former Borussia Dortmund coach turned down the approach.

Alonso, 40, is highly rated as a managerial prospect. He starred as a player for Real Sociedad, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich before retiring in 2017.

He began his coaching career with Real Madrid's academy before taking over Sociedad's B team in 2019, leading them to promotion to the Second Division in 2021 for the first time in 60 years before departing this summer.

Sociedad had been keen to keep him on board as a potential future first-team manager, but the performance of Imanol Alguacil in the role meant that was not an option in the short-term, and Alonso preferred to seek a new challenge.