Xabi Alonso Will ‘Take Time’ Before Deciding on Liverpool Job

Highlights

• Liverpool managerial target Xabi Alonso wants to take his time before making a decision on whether to replace Jurgen Klopp as head coach at Anfield.
• The Spaniard has also been linked with the vacancy at Bayern Munich which will become available at the end of the 2023/24 season.
• Fabrizio Romano feels that Bayern’s structure could give them the edge over Liverpool in the Alonso chase.

Liverpool managerial target Xabi Alonso will take his time before deciding on whether to take up the vacancy as Jurgen Klopp’s successor at Anfield amid rumoured interest from Bayern Munich, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The current Reds boss has revealed that he will be leaving the club at the end of the 2023/24 season, claiming that he is running out of energy to continue doing the job at his best level.

Liverpool are also looking for a new sporting director, after Jorg Schmadtke confirmed that he would depart the Merseyside giants after just two transfer windows with the club. Alonso is impressing potential suitors during his time at Bayer Leverkusen and has put the German outfit in pole position to win a shock Bundesliga title in just his second season in charge.

Liverpool and Bayern battle for Alonso

Both clubs are looking for new managers next season

Following Klopp’s announcement that he will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season, the club will have started the process of identifying a potential successor to the 56-year-old. The task in itself has added complications, with the club currently without a sporting director and clear football structure in place.

Liverpool have been credited with an interest in Leverkusen’s Alonso and are likely to interview their former midfielder for the manager’s vacancy. Bayern Munich have also been linked with a move for the Spaniard, who is currently on course to deny them a Bundesliga title, the first time they will have gone without claiming a domestic league crown since 2012.

Leverkusen find themselves in a strong negotiating position for Alonso, who has a contract with the German outfit until the summer of 2026. However, the club will have to consider whether it is worth standing in the 42-year-old’s way, if he is eager to take up the opportunity of managing either Bayern or Liverpool.

Writing in his column for CaughtOffside, Romano feels that Bayern have the edge over Liverpool in the race for Alonso, given that the Bavarian giants already have a clear footballing structure in place, compared to the uncertainty regarding a sporting director at Liverpool.

“The advantage for Bayern is they already have a structure in place and clear ideas to present their project to Alonso and other candidates. For Liverpool the priority is to appoint another director as soon as possible, the interest is absolutely there, and they want Alonso as a priority target.

“Also, my understanding is that Xabi Alonso himself wants to take some time because he wants to focus on Bayer Leverkusen. They are doing something historical this season and he doesn’t want any distraction.”

Alternative manager targets for Liverpool

The Reds have a number of candidates on their shortlist

Whilst Alonso is widely considered to be Liverpool’s prime target to replace Klopp at Anfield, the six-time European Cup winners will also have several other candidates on their shortlist, should a move for their former midfielder fall through.

Earlier in February, Romano told GIVEMESPORT that Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Roberto De Zerbi was also a candidate to take the soon-to-be free hotseat in the Reds dugout.

Meanwhile, German national team head coach Julian Nagelsmann and Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim have both been named as potential Klopp successors. Neither have experience of Premier League management, but are both performing in current high-pressure roles, with the former also having coached Bayern Munich as recently as the 2022/23 season.

All stats according to Transfermarkt.