The sudden announcement of the departure of Jurgen Klopp, who has been in charge of Liverpool since 2015, has the club scrambling to find a new leader to take charge of the new era. The first candidate is Xabi Alonso, who leads the in-form Bayer Leverkusen, but several other targets are on the list.
While names such as Julian Nagelsmann and Roberto de Zerbi are being tossed around, the second most likely candidate is Sporting’s Ruben Amorim, a 39-year-old youngster who has a proven track record in Portugal and has managed many matches on the European stage.
However, it is likely that Liverpool will need a hefty compensation package in order to pull the coach out of the club. A payment of as much as 25.6 million pounds to offload his contract with Sporting is inevitable, according to a report in The Express.
The Portuguese conductor, who has reportedly been linked with Chelsea, Manchester United, and Barcelona, has become a popular brand name, as has Xabi Alonso, and is not short of potential new destinations.
He is also an excellent nurturer of young players and would be a good fit for Liverpool’s efforts to improve its lower divisions.
However, if the £25.6 million price tag is correct, Liverpool would have a high hurdle to overcome in order to make a serious bid. Chelsea or Manchester United, who have more money to spend, would have the upper hand.
In any case, Liverpool’s top priority is to sign Xabi Alonso. Can they win the battle with Bayern and convince him not to stay at Leverkusen and welcome the former Spanish midfielder to Anfield…?