Xabi Alonso is reportedly ‘regarded as the frontrunner’ to succeed Jurgen Klopp in the Liverpool job.
The Spanish coach has attracted plenty of plaudits worldwide owing to his terrific start in management, leading a once-poor Leverkusen side to the top of the German top-flight this term.
“Xabi Alonso is regarded as the frontrunner to succeed Klopp and understandably so given his bond with the club as a player who helped win the 2005 Champions League trophy and the outstanding job he has done at Bayer Leverkusen this season,” James Pearce reported alongside Adam Crafton, David Ornstein and Oliver Kay for The Athletic. “He has led the club to the top of the Bundesliga, four points clear of Bayern Munich, and the fact he has done so with a smaller budget than their rivals will surely make him even more appealing to FSG.”
The 42-year-old is also understood to have made a gentleman’s agreement with his current club’s hierarchy that would allow him to leave for a top club like the Reds.
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Could Alonso be a good fit?
Our former Champions League winner may be inexperienced – considerably so when compared to the man he’d be potentially replacing – though his work with various world-class coaches means he’s been exposed to quite the array of philosophies.
It’s present in his current coaching, with Alonso employing a mix of counter-pressing, not entirely dissimilar to Klopp’s style of gegenpress, and possession-based football that harks back to his time under Pep Guardiola’s tutelage.
There are big questions to be asked about certain elements, of course, the most stark of all being how his 3-4-2-1 system would be applied in Liverpool.
Though, he’s most certainly an intriguing option to consider as the next manager of Liverpool.
Just gonna throw this out there how about unie emrie