A potential candidate to replace Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool in the future may have taken a major step in his managerial skills by beating Bayern Munich.
While Liverpool have struggled this season, there is no doubt who is best suited to lead the club in the long term. Jürgen Klopp’s current contract expires in 2026 and, barring extraordinary circumstances, the German is expected to fulfill his obligations until the end of the 2025/26 season.
However, Liverpool’s future after 2026 is debatable. By then, Klopp will have been at the club for over a decade and given his past at Mainz and Borussia Dortmund, it is unfeasible to expect him to stay at Anfield forever. There were question marks over whether he was busy signing a new deal last year when he put his current contract into writing.
But should the Liverpool boss leave, he will ask the FSG a little existential question. And now? What’s next? More importantly, who’s next? That’s the multi-million dollar question.
But the FSG could be a little closer to finding an answer to Xabi Alonso. A former Liverpool midfielder who played a key role in the club’s most spectacular Champions League success in Istanbul in 2005, Alonso spent several years at Anfield before joining Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
But he has always maintained a close connection with Liverpool, even playing for the club’s Legends team in the past.
When he retired in 2017, Alonso started as an academy coach at Real Madrid and worked on his coaching badges at the Spanish Football Federation alongside Mikel Arteta who went on to great success at Arsenal.
Xabi Alonso recorded an impressive win against Bayern Munich. (Image credit: Stefan Brauer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
Alonso then moved on to Real Sociedad’s B team before joining Bayer Leverkusen this summer, where he quickly transformed a relegation-challenging side who picked up just five points from their first eight games to fight for a place in Europe next season in the Bundesliga.
Last week, Alonso also guided his side to the quarter-finals of the Europa League with a convincing 4-0 aggregate win over Ferencváros. and Manchester United on their way to the final – they have a good chance of returning to Budapest at the end of the season to pick up some trophies.
Further confirmation of this was seen at the weekend when, on his return to Munich, Alonso beat the current German champions 2-1 in a shock result that saw Bayern drop to second place in the table. It’s almost unprecedented at this stage of the Bundesliga season, but Alonso’s achievement is impressive nonetheless considering it was only Bayern’s third league defeat in 25 games this season.
Playing an attractive and fluid attacking style that incorporates both the defensive disciplines of Carlo Ancelotti and the possession-based football of Pep Guardiola, Alonso has already proven himself to be a tactical genius. 3-5-2 or 3-4-3 formations with inverted wingers and a fake number nine floating almost like an attacking midfielder are innovative and fun to watch.
Given his Liverpool affiliation and if he stays on the same path, there might not be a better candidate than the Spaniard to replace Klopp in the future and the FSG should keep a close eye on his progress. ‘Alonso in the coming seasons. His recent results have definitely proven that he is one of the most exciting young managers in European football.
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Trent Alexander-Arnold ‘agent’ spotted with Jude Bellingham as Liverpool suffer setback
Liverpool are embroiled in battle to sign Jude Bellingham this summer and are said to have dropped hints of his future after being spotted with Trent Alexander-Arnold
Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold has again been seen spending time with Jude Bellingham amid new developments over the midfielder’s future.
The Reds have long been linked with a move from the Borussia Dortmund star to England, as their midfield is in desperate need of investment for next season. Real Madrid have also credited a Bellingham appearance which could complicate a potential move to Anfield.
Reds star Alexander-Arnold appears to be doing everything he can to bring the midfielder to Merseyside. The pair are believed to share a close friendship which was on display during the World Cup. That pair met again before the final round of international matches. A Reddit post showed the two sitting together in a restaurant enjoying a meal.
They accompanied the post with the caption “Agent Trent back in action.” The pair were then again photographed attending a Chris Brown concert at London’s O2 Arena. The American singer is in the middle of the British leg of his European tour and will play five nights in the capital.
Whether or not Bellingham’s future has been named is unknown, but Liverpool have taken a major blow in pursuit of the 19-year-old. According to The Athletic, the midfielder ‘looks increasingly unlikely’ to sign for the Reds in the coming months.
A huge transfer fee, along with Liverpool’s desire not to be embroiled in a bidding war, has severely damaged the Reds’ chances of signing him. It is believed that while Jurgen Klopp remains a big fan of Bellingham, Real Madrid and Premier League rivals Manchester City are in a better position to strike a deal.
Shortly after the World Cup – a period in which the England star’s rating soared – Klopp said: “Bellingham is just exceptional. He plays as mature as a 28-year-old. the world already knew about his skills, but I have no idea what that means for the money.
“He is very good, exceptional. He had an incredible World Cup.”
Bellingham, 19, has continued in electric form for Dortmund since his return. The former Birmingham star has scored 10 goals and provided six assists for the German giants in all competitions this season.
He still has a two-year contract in Germany. Bellingham will also be hoping to shine for England in the international break.
The Three Lions face Italy and Ukraine in two Euro 2024 qualifiers. Pal Alexander-Arnold was not selected in Gareth Southgate’s squad during his difficult season at Liverpool.