Liverpool are ready to give up on plans to appoint Xabi Alonso as the club now believe he will stay at Bayer Leverkusen for at least another season.
Alonso looks set to win the Bundesliga with Leverkusen and the understanding is the Spaniard is likely to remain for their Champions League campaign.
The Merseysiders will instead turn their attention to the Sporting head coach, Rúben Amorim, and the Brighton manager, Roberto De Zerbi, as they plan for Jürgen Klopp’s successor.
The timing is a blow for Liverpool supporters who had pinned their hopes on Alonso taking over from Klopp. It also poses a significant challenge for Michael Edwards, the new chief executive officer of Fenway Sports Group, and the incoming sporting director Richard Hughes.
Even Klopp seemed to sense Alonso was the preferred choice of fans when asked about the Spaniard’s coaching career so far.
“The next generation is already there and I would say Xabi is the standout in that department,” the Liverpool manager 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.”
Liverpool were facing competition from Munich for Alonso but it now seems the 42-year-old is determined to build on his success with Leverkusen which has taken them 10 points clear of Bayern during an unbeaten campaign.
Bayern are searching for a new head coach with Thomas Tuchel on his way out in the summer and were hoping to lure the former midfielder who graced Anfield and the Allianz Arena. However, it seems Alonso’s camp have made it plain that the time is not right to move on. On Thursday, Bayern’s honorary president, Uli Hoeness, confirmed it would be “impossible” to secure his signature.
“We’ll have to see if we can do it this year,” he said. “It will be difficult, if not probably impossible.
“[Alonso] is more inclined to stay at Bayer Leverkusen in view of their current successes, because he would not want to leave them behind,” Hoeness said. “Let’s say if he had two or three more years of success, it would probably be easier to bring him out of there.”
Amorim is one of Europe’s most highly rated coaches, having guided Sporting to the Portuguese title in 2021. Sporting are on course to repeat that title success this season and the coach reportedly has a release clause of £17m.
De Zerbi – who has enjoyed success against Liverpool with Brighton – will have another chance to impress the Anfield hierarchy when he brings his side to Merseyside on Sunday.
There is a significant chance Liverpool and Klopp will come up against Alonso and Leverkusen in the Europa League final in May.
