Jan Aage Fjortoft has backed Liverpool to win the race for Xabi Alonso’s signature this summer.
The former Spanish international has been earmarked by many a commentator as the “frontrunner” for the soon-to-be-vacant head coach role at Anfield.
“First of all, if Liverpool are desperate and put all their money on getting Xabi Alonso, I’ve got a feeling they’ll get him,” the Viaplay journalist spoke on The German Fussball Podcast.
“Having said that. If there’s one man, if there’s one coach, who will have a good look at his development as a coach, who will have a good look to analyse the Liverpool job – because it doesn’t matter who will come after Jurgen Klopp, that will be a hell of a place to go – Xabi Alonso will do that.
“It’s a fair point that he’s a frontrunner. He ticks all the boxes except experience. Yes, he has been long around as a player, but make no mistake: It’s something else to coach Liverpool Football Club than Bayer Leverkusen, and I say that with the greatest of respect for Leverkusen.”
Bayer Leverkusen currently lead the Bundesliga table by five points after securing an impressive 3-0 victory over Bayern Munich.
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A risk whichever way Liverpool go
Life without Jurgen Klopp at the helm means some risk-taking is a matter of inevitability rather than choice.
That need not set our decision-makers into panic mode when such a promising young manager like Xabi Alonso could be available this summer.
Given the magnitude of the job and the 42-year-old’s historical connection to Liverpool, that’s certainly at least a possibility.
And wouldn’t we rather start a journey with one familiar face with a superb reputation for developing young talent, as opposed to a completely new entity?