According to reports, Xabi Alonso is the leading candidate to succeed Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, although the club has also established a preferred backup option.
Last month, Klopp announced his intention to step down from his role at the end of the season due to fatigue, prompting the club to initiate a succession plan.
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Despite the search being in its early stages, Alonso has swiftly emerged as the top choice following an outstanding campaign with Leverkusen, where he has propelled them to the summit of the Bundesliga table, eight points ahead of Bayern Munich.
However, Bayern Munich has already announced that Thomas Tuchel will depart at the end of the season, with Alonso also being their primary target.
Despite Alonso’s ties to Real Madrid, Barcelona is also considering him as a replacement for Xavi, while Real Madrid could hasten a move for their former midfielder despite Carlo Ancelotti’s successful tenure at the club.
With numerous European powerhouses potentially seeking a new manager and Alonso being the preferred coach for many teams, Liverpool could ultimately miss out on the 42-year-old.
However, as per The Independent, they have already identified a contingency plan in Sporting Lisbon’s head coach, Ruben Amorim.
Despite experiencing player departures in recent seasons, the Portuguese coach is currently leading another title challenge, with Sporting sitting atop the league on goal difference and with a game in hand over Benfica.
Amorim’s success includes winning the Primeira Liga title in 2021 and drawing attention from clubs like Chelsea and Tottenham for recent vacancies, although other candidates were ultimately chosen.
While Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi has also been strongly linked to the Liverpool job, Amorim is currently seen as the more probable choice.
Brighton is known for being difficult to negotiate with regarding player and staff departures, and acquiring De Zerbi would likely incur a substantial compensation fee, similar to Chelsea’s payment of over £20 million for Graham Potter and his staff.
Given Amorim’s past resistance to offers from other clubs, Sporting is unlikely to obstruct his departure if he seeks a new challenge.
Similarly to Alonso, Liverpool is not the sole admirer of the young coach, and they will probably have to compete with other clubs to secure his services, albeit not to the same degree.
