Xabi Alonso is unlikely to be included on Liverpool’s shortlist to replace Jurgen Klopp as the Merseyside club does not believe he will be available this summer, according to The Telegraph.
Despite Alonso being long considered the front-runner to succeed Klopp following the German’s surprising announcement of his departure from Anfield at the end of the season, “the club are pressing ahead in considering alternative candidates after it emerged that Alonso plans to remain at Leverkusen,” the daily newspaper claims.
As a result, Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim and Brighton and Hove Albion’s Roberto De Zerbi emerge as the top remaining contenders for the forthcoming vacancy at Anfield.
Liverpool aim to narrow down the contenders in the upcoming weeks.
De Zerbi will have the opportunity to showcase his abilities on Sunday when his Brighton side faces Klopp’s team in the Premier League at Anfield.
Meanwhile, Amorim has garnered admiration for ending Sporting’s 19-year wait for the Portuguese championship title and securing three domestic cup victories, marking an impressive start to his coaching career.
The notion of Alonso, a former player and Champions League winner with Liverpool, returning to build upon Klopp’s legacy appealed to the romantics who fondly remember his elegant presence in Liverpool’s midfield from 2004 to 2009.
Even Klopp himself seemed to endorse the idea, conveying a sense that Alonso was ‘the chosen one’ through his lavish praise of the Leverkusen coach last month.
“The next generation is already there and I would say Xabi is the stand-out in that department,” Klopp said. “A former world-class player, obviously coaching family as well which helps a little bit. He was like a coach already when he was playing.
“The football he is playing, the teams he sets up, the transfers he did – it was absolutely exceptional. Obviously when you look through the Europa League, Leverkusen is one of the favourites there as well so that could be the season for Leverkusen. Really crazy.”
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