Xabi Alonso is understood to be ‘an early frontrunner’ for the soon-to-be vacant Liverpool manager’s job at the end of the season.
Jurgen Klopp will step down after nine years in charge of the Merseysiders, with the Reds aiming for a fairytale end to the campaign amid the charge for four separate trophies.
“The search for a replacement has been led by Gordon and informed by the club’s data analysts who have been trying to match potential candidates with the profile of the squad,” Jen McCaffrey and Andrew Fifield reported for The Athletic. “Xabi Alonso, a former Liverpool midfielder now enjoying success with German club Bayer Leverkusen, is an early frontrunner.”
The former Spanish international has helped mastermind an unexpected title charge of his own at the helm of Bayer Leverkusen.
The German outfit finds itself at the top of the Bundesliga table, leading traditional winners Bayern Munich by two points, having not lost a single game all season.
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Liverpool will pull in a wide range of candidates
The good news is that our revival under Klopp – and the world-class foundations that have been laid down – will ensure that there will be no shortage of hats thrown into the ring.
Whether one particular meets the needs of the squad and can keep the wheels turning, of course, is another matter entirely.
Replacing one of the most successful and inspiring managers in the club’s history – a veritable behemoth fit to stand alongside names like Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley and Kenny Dalglish – will be no simple task.
Fortunately, we’ve got such a versatile squad that there shouldn’t be too many managers with whom our players wouldn’t be a good match for.