According to Raphael Honigstein, Xabi Alonso finds the Liverpool job extremely appealing and impossible to resist.
Xabi Alonso, the former Liverpool player and current Bayer Leverkusen manager, may find it too difficult to resist the opportunity to replace Jurgen Klopp as the next manager of Liverpool, according to Raphael Honigstein.
Klopp recently announced that he would be stepping down at the end of the season after a successful nine-year tenure at Anfield, and Alonso has emerged as the bookmakers’ favorite to succeed him.
During his time as a player, Alonso was adored by the Liverpool fans, and he has since gained a strong reputation as a manager through his impressive work at Bayer Leverkusen.
When he took over as boss in October 2022, his primary goal was to keep the team in the top flight of German football. With 16 games remaining in the 2023/24 campaign, Leverkusen remains unbeaten and is on track to win their first Bundesliga title, currently sitting at the top of the table with 16 wins from 20 games.
Given his success, it is no surprise that Alonso is being linked with some of the most prestigious managerial positions in club football. Honigstein, an expert from TNT Sports, believes that the opportunity to manage Liverpool would be too enticing for the 42-year-old to turn down.
He states that since Alonso started making waves as a coach in Germany, people have been speculating about the possibility of him one day taking charge at Liverpool, Bayern Munich, or Real Madrid. Klopp’s announcement has accelerated these discussions and opened the door for Alonso to potentially take over at a club known for its stability.
Honigstein suggests that Alonso would be tempted by the chance to have the same longevity and success that Klopp enjoyed at Liverpool. He sees the opportunity as a rare one that Alonso would likely jump at if and when Liverpool decide that he is the right man for the job.
Honigstein concludes by stating that he doesn’t see how Alonso could turn down such an opportunity. With Klopp’s announcement bringing the subject into the open, he expects discussions about Alonso’s potential appointment to gain momentum in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, Leverkusen, the only club in Europe to remain unbeaten in all competitions, will face Bayern Munich on Saturday, hoping to extend their lead at the top of the Bundesliga table to five points.