Xabi Alonso, Bayern Munich Agree on New Contract: Latest Details and Reaction

Xabi Alonso has committed his future to Bayern Munich, penning a contract extension with the German giants that will see him remain at the club until 2017.

News of the veteran midfielder’s extension came via an announcement on the club's official Twitter feed:

It will come as a big boost to the Bundesliga side after some rumours suggested Alonso could be on the move, per Kicker (h/t ESPN FC).

With speculation continuing to surround manager Pep Guardiola, football journalist Stefan Bienkowski took great interest in Alonso's extension:

Meanwhile, the Guardian's Daniel Harris and football writer Nooruddean Choudry offered humorous reactions:

Here’s a look at the kind of quality he brings to the heart of this Bayern team:

Although Alonso is coming toward the end of his career, the former Spain international is a huge influence at the Allianz Arena. There are few players in world football who are capable of dictating a match quite like Alonso, as he continues to showcase an excellent range of passing, sharp football instincts and tenacious defensive qualities.

As we can see here, courtesy of WhoScored.com, the former Real Madrid and Liverpool man was the most prolific passer of the ball by some way in the 2014-15 Bundesliga season:

The midfielder helped Bayern to the Bundesliga title last season—his debut campaign with the club—but with his future now set at the Allianz Arena, he’ll be focused on helping the Bavarians secure European glory again soon.

CHRISTOF STACHE/Getty Images

It’s a title Alonso has already won twice in his distinguished career, with Los Blancos and the Reds. This Bayern team is equally, if not more, talented than both of those squads, and while the Champions League is a mightily difficult competition to win, the German champions’ chances will be enhanced greatly with Alonso’s imperious influence at the nexus of their XI.