Despite their recent 3-1 loss at Arsenal, Liverpool have been flying this season and are leading the Premier League title race, are through to the Carabao Cup final, and are one of the favorites for the FA Cup and UEFA Europa League crowns.
Nonetheless, the Merseyside giants are coming to terms with the inevitable departure of Jurgen Klopp, who announced he will be stepping down as manager at the end of the season. The initial reaction to this bombshell was that of grief but in the weeks following, the focus has now shifted towards his potential successor.
According to one source, not only have the Reds identified their no.1 target to replace the outgoing German but Liverpool have also reached out to that candidate. That person is none other than Xabi Alonso, the highly-rated Spanish tactician behind Bayer Leverkusen's fantastic Bundesliga push this season.
As reported by Foot Mercato, the Basque sensation tops Liverpool's wishlist but the Premier League giants understand that a deal will not be easy. The 42-year-old is currently leading a Bundesliga title charge, with Leverkusen sitting two points ahead of Bayern Munich, with the manager focused on delivering success at the BayArena.
Furthermore, Alonso is said to be happy at Leverkusen and is already involved in preparations for the future. However, this does not mean a deal is impossible.
Die Werkself understand that Alonso, who played for Liverpool between 2004 and 2009, is wanted at Anfield and while they remain hopeful of retaining their manager, nothing is guaranteed in modern football.
Other names have also been mentioned, including Roberto de Zerbi, Ruben Amorim, and Julian Nagelsmann. However, all three are employed elsewhere — at Brighton, Sporting CP, and the German national team, respectively — which makes things tricky.
As for now, the Reds remain focused on completing a successful final season under Klopp. The German boss has won the Premier League but only once and will be looking to add another medal to his belt before his departure.
Manchester City and Arsenal are only two points behind Salah and Co. but the league leaders have already faced the Gunners twice this season and will have the home advantage when they lock horns with Guardiola's men in March.
