Liverpool have reportedly reached out to one of their leading candidates for the manager’s job.
According to French outlet Foot Mercato, the Merseyside club have contacted Xabi Alonso about the prospect of taking over from Jurgen Klopp when the incumbent boss departs at the end of this season.
The 42-year-old is claimed to be at the top of the list for Anfield chiefs, although the Bayer Leverkusen coach has publicly insisted that he’s happy to remain with his current side, who he’s led to the summit of the Bundesliga this term.
Ever since Klopp announced nearly two weeks ago that he’d be leaving in May, Alonso was catapulted to the front of the queue when it came to discourse about potential successors.
The Spaniard further underlined his credentials in dramatic fashion last night as Leverkusen twice came from behind to beat high-flying Stuttgart 3-2 with a last-minute winner to reach the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal.
It leaves them well on course for a domestic double, a prospect which could appear even closer if they defeat Bayern Munich in a potentially title-defining clash on Saturday evening.
We await to see how Alonso responds to the reported contact from Liverpool, which has come during one of the most crucial weeks of his current club’s season, although we cling to the hope that he may yet be tempted by a return to Anfield as manager.
Considering the fixture which awaits at the weekend, and what a win for Leverkusen could do for his standing within European football and his perception among other potential suitors, the Reds may have timed their approach for the 42-year-old perfectly.
#Ep100 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones🎙️