Xabi Alonso: A look at the favourite to replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool
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According to the bookies, Xabi Alonso is the favourite to become the next Liverpool manager, but what would he bring to the club if he is given the job later this year?
Jurgen Klopp shocked the football world on Friday by announcing that, at the end of the season, he’ll be leaving his post as Liverpool manager after nine years in charge.
Immediately, speculation emerged on who would take over from Klopp, and while names such as Ange Postecoglu and Jose Mourinho were thrown about, Alonso was seen by many to be the ‘clear favourite’.
Fans will now be wondering what life with the Spaniard will be like if he is given the job, and that’s where Ladbrokes comes in, so strap in and join us on our deep dive of Alonso’s career, style of football and chances of succeeding if given the Liverpool job.
Xabi Alonso is the favourite to become Liverpool manager
At the time of writing, Alonso is the clear early favourite, according to Ladbrokes, to become Liverpool’s next manager, with odds of 4/6.
While other candidates will be considered, with Roberto De Zerbi, current assistant manager Pep Ljinders and Zinedine Zidane also listed, the common feeling is that Xabi is the clear favourite to manage his former side from next season.
A lot could change between now and the end of the season, but the ever-reliable Fabrizio Romano has said that Alonso has an ‘agreement’ with Bayer Leverkusen, his current club, that he can join either Liverpool, Bayern Munich or Real Madrid should they come in for him, so it’s clearly a role that he’d be interested in taking.
Leverkusen are currently top of the Bundesliga, ahead of the aforementioned Bayern Munich, having picked up 49 points from their opening 19 games while failing to lose a single match in the league.
His side plays a controlled style of football, opting for short passes rather than long, direct balls into the box. Alonso favours stability with his side, clearly feeling that defence is the best form of attack. He also allows his forwards to have an incredible sense of freedom in their play, resulting in some truly breath-taking moves and patterns of play.
How would Xabi Alonso line-up with Liverpool?
Alonso plays a three-at-the-back with Leverkusen, something that Klopp has almost never lined his Liverpool side up in, which could suggest a major change in system should the former Real Madrid midfielder get the job.
However, with better players at his disposal, Alonso could always opt to play more of a 4-2-3-1, something that he trialled during his real successful spell as manager of Real Sociedad’s B team, a position he held between 2019 and 2022.
The feeling amongst many fans is that, should Alonso come in, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s time at right-back might be over. The England international has inverted into midfield this season under Klopp, but many Liverpool fans feel as if Xabi could turn him into a full-time midfielder, which is certainly rather exciting.
That could open the door for Liverpool to potentially sign Jeremie Frimpong, who plays at Leverkusen under Alonso at the moment. The Dutchman has a release clause worth just shy of £35 million for the summer of 2024, which could be something the Reds look at activating should Alonso come in.
Below is an example XI for what Alonso could have as his starting side for Liverpool, should he get the job and be reunited with one or two of his former players.
- GK – Alisson
- RB – Jeremie Frimpong
- CB – Ibrahima Konate
- CB – Virgil van Dijk
- LB – Piero Hincapie
- CM – Trent Alexander-Arnold
- CM – Alexis Mac Allister
- LW – Luis Diaz
- CM – Dominik Szoboszlai
- RW – Mohamed Salah
- ST – Darwin Nunez
Alonso also tends to favour big target-man strikers, so that could end up being great news for Darwin Nunez, who has scored and assisted over 10 goals for Liverpool so far this season.
Klopp has turned Nunez into a more reliable finisher this season, and he’s become a significantly better asset for his team’s overall play, and that progress could only be continued should Alonso get the job.
Is Xabi Alonso ready to become Liverpool manager?
Alonso has long been tipped to become a top manager. In 2019, while he was just a youth coach at Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho spoke about how Xabi had all the minerals to become a world class boss, something that he’s starting to prove in his current role.
However, we can’t shy away from the fact that Alonso is very inexperienced when it comes to being a manager. The World Cup final did it all as a player, but has managed less than 100 games of senior football, so some will question whether he’s done enough to become the number one man at one of the biggest clubs in the world.
Despite that, the old adage of ‘if you’re good enough, you’re old enough’ seems relevant here. There’s no denying that Alonso still has a lot to prove, but Liverpool could be the place for him to do it at.
The two-time Champions League winner was one of best midfielders in the world during his prime, but more than that, he understands what it means to play for Liverpool, something the Anfield faithful will massively appreciate.
Of course, Fenway Sports Group must do their due diligence and hire the right man, but taking all things into consideration, it’s really quite hard to look past Alonso as the standout candidate at this early stage.
- Xabi Alonso – 4/6
- Roberto De Zerbi – 7/1
- Pep Ljinders – 10/1
- Julian Nagelsmann – 12/1
- Ruben Amorim – 12/1
- Zinedine Zidane – 16/1
- Ange Postecoglu – 20/1
- Graham Potter – 20/1
- Steven Gerrard – 20/1
- Thomas Frank – 20/1
- Unai Emery – 20/1
- Antonio Conte – 25/1
- Diego Simeone – 25/1
- Jose Mourinho – 25/1
- Xavi – 25/1
- Thomas Tuchel 25/1
- Luis Enrique – 25/1
All odds and markets are correct as of the date of publication.
