A key update in Liverpool’s hunt for a Jurgen Klopp replacement was provided late on Thursday evening.
It came via The Athletic, who reported that Liverpool and Bayern Munich expect Xabi Alonso to remain at Bayer Leverkusen beyond this season with both clubs pursuing other managerial targets.
Despite this news, Xabi Alonso remains the 5/4 favourite with Betfair to become the next permanent Liverpool manager.
Who will be Liverpool’s next manager?
Somewhat surprisingly, the report claims Liverpool have been aware for a while that Alonso was unlikely to leave Leverkusen this summer.
Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness also spoke about the club’s interest in appointing Alonso but added that his belief was that the Spaniard would remain at their Bundesliga rivals Leverkusen:
“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.”
This, of course, means Liverpool will be looking at alternative targets ahead of Jurgen Klopp stepping down in the summer.
The current bookies’ favourites for the job can be seen below, including the likes of Roberto De Zerbi and Ange Postecoglou:
| Next Permanent Liverpool Manager | Odds |
|---|---|
| Xabi Alonso | 5/4 |
| Ruben Amorim | 15/8 |
| Roberto De Zerbi | 9/4 |
| Julian Nagelsmann | 14/1 |
| Ange Postecoglou | 14/1 |
| Thomas Tuchel | 16/1 |
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