Just four weeks out from the end of the season and Liverpool still don’t know who will be managing them next term.
The Reds just about remain in the hunt for the Premier League title to send Jurgen Klopp off in the most perfect way possible.
Whether Liverpool manage to win the league or not next month though, they’re going to find themselves having to rebuild in 2024/25.
As things stand, it seems that Ruben Amorim is the front-runner to follow in Klopp’s footsteps. However, there have been claims today that FSG could still make a ‘shock’ appointment such as Bologna’s Thiago Motta.
There are still a number of cards in play here, with a five-man shortlist reportedly drawn up at the start of the month. However, there was a notable name missing from that list, with West Ham United coach Kevin Nolan now suggesting the reason why.
Kevin Nolan makes Xabi Alonso claim
Nolan has experience of being a manager himself. Having led both Leyton Orient and Notts County as the main man, he knows what the gig is all about.
As a coach under David Moyes at West Ham for the past four years, he also has plenty in his locker in terms of coaching in the Premier League.
Nolan is a boyhood Liverpool fan, too. So, when he spoke to BBC 5 Live about the Reds’ new manager search yesterday, it made for interesting listening. More specifically, the 41-year-old spoke about the man who beat his West Ham side in Europe on Thursday, Xabi Alonso.
“I actually think if he took the Liverpool job and then was unsuccessful, would he then be touted for the Real Madrid job?” posed Nolan, while talking about Alonso’s decision to take himself out of the running for Liverpool.
“And I think we all know that, and I think he is looking at it and thinking, Liverpool are in a state of a bit of transition with Jurgen Klopp, does he have the players to do it, the same with Bayern Munich.
“We all know that he is Spanish, he loves Real Madrid, he has won everything with Real Madrid, so why wouldn’t he want to think, that’s my top job? Because if that becomes open within the next year or 18 months, I think that would be too big a lure for him. And I think that’s what he has probably looked at.”
Is Xabi Alonso waiting for the Real Madrid job
In the wake of Alonso’s decision to stay at Bayer Leverkusen, there were claims that the Spaniard would still like to manage Liverpool one day.
However, it seems that Alonso is also planning to take charge at Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, too. Now, with Bayern and Liverpool on the table this summer, Xabi opted against taking either job.
The Madrid position may well be available either next summer or the year after, which would feel like better timing for Alonso. If he keeps doing as well as he is in Germany, the 42-year-old will be a shoo-in at the Bernabeu.
While that is a shame for Liverpool, we also wouldn’t have fancied Alonso taking over only to hop to Madrid when they inevitably called. If he gets them and Bayern out of his system before joining the Reds, that may be the best case scenario.