Bayern Munich & Barcelona could seriously change post-Jurgen Klopp Liverpool plans
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Liverpool may have their post-Jurgen Klopp plans changed by the managerial situations at both Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Klopp shocked the footballing world in January by announcing that he’ll be stepping down from his post as Liverpool manager at the end of the season.
Xabi Alonso was seen by many, including the bookies, as the undisputed favourite to take over from the German at Anfield, but Bayern Munich and Barcelona may have something to say about that.
Will Xabi Alonso become Liverpool manager?
As noted, almost immediately after Klopp announced that he’d be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season, fans and pundits gave their predictions for who’d step into the hot-seat and take over as the Reds’ boss.
While other names were thrown about, Xabi Alonso was the clear favourite to return to his former club and become manager, fresh off what has been an incredibly impressive season so far with Bayer Leverkusen.
At the time of writing, Leverkusen are top of the Bundesliga, eight points clear of Bayern Munich after beating their domestic rivals 3-0 this month. They’re also one of the favourites to win the Europa League, alongside Liverpool.
Because they’re challenging on two-fronts, and have a real chance of winning trophies this year, Alonso isn’t expected to make a decision until after the season has concluded, but many feel that it’s almost a certainty that he’s in the dugout at Anfield next season.
Could Xabi Alonso join Barcelona?
However, one thing we do know is that the Liverpool role won’t be the only vacant managerial position in the summer, with Xavi Hernandez announcing also last month that he plans on leaving Barcelona at the end of the campaign.
Many fans may point to Alonso’s playing career with Real Madrid as a reason why he wouldn’t become Barcelona manager. However, Xabi’s father, Periko Alonso, played for the Blaugrana for three years during his time as a player. It’s possible that if they made him the right offer, Alonso could consider returning to his native Spain to manage one of the world’s biggest clubs.
Names like Roberto De Zerbi and even Jose Mourinho are seen as more likely than Alonso to become Barcelona’s next manager, but with several weeks of the season left to play, the situation could change and Liverpool could find themselves competing with the Spanish giants for their next manager.
Could Xabi Alonso join Bayern Munich?
Liverpool might not be the only club Xabi Alonso used to play for who are searching for a new manager come the end of the 2023/24 season.
After being beaten 1-0 in the first-leg of the Champions League knockout round by Lazio, and 3-0 and 3-2 by Leverkusen and Bochum respectively in the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich face the very real possibility of not winning a trophy this season.
Following those three back-to-back losses, it was announced that Thomas Tuchel will not be the Bayern manager next season, with the decision being made between the two parties to end their relationship at the end of this campaign. Bayern are in search of a new manager for next season, and it’s thought to be quite likely that they’ll at least approach Alonso about the prospect of becoming their next boss.
The former Bayern midfielder has shown that he has what it takes to challenge for the Bundesliga, something that’s a requirement when becoming manager, and perhaps remaining in Germany would also interest him.
At the end of the day, no one knows for certain whether or not Alonso would rather manage Liverpool, Bayern Munich or Barcelona, but it’s pretty obvious that both Barcelona and Liverpool will at least be considering the Spaniard for their vacant role at the end of the season. That’s not all, as with Tuchel and Bayern ending their relationship this summer, it’s pretty likely that the German giants will also want to bring Alonso to the club, weakening a rival in the process.
So, Liverpool may have to act quickly here. While Alonso may want to wait until the end of the season to make a decision, with the Reds likely to respect his wishes, the club may have to get the groundwork done so a deal can be completed promptly in the summer, of they could risk losing out on their first-choice candidate, despite him still being 1/2 in the betting odds.
Below is the breakdown of options for Liverpool’s next manager, including the odds of Xabi Alonso, as well as several other top candidates.
- Xabi Alonso – 1/2
- Roberto De Zerbi – 8/1
- Ruben Amorim – 9/1
- Pep Ljinders – 12/1
- Julian Nagelsmann – 14/1
- Thomas Tuchel – 14/1
- Steven Gerrard – 20/1
All odds and markets are correct as of the date of publication.
