Bayer Leverkusen – The Empire of The Kop

Falk: Liverpool-linked £34m ace ‘may want to leave’; he’s ‘being courted by English clubs’

Liam Togher — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 11:36:08 +0000

Xabi Alonso won’t be leaving Bayer Leverkusen for Liverpool this summer, but there’s a chance that some of his players might.

Christian Falk has indicated that Piero Hincapie could push for an exit if competition for places remains intense, with the 22-year-old being ‘courted’ by multiple Premier League clubs amid a reported asking price of €40m (£34.1m).

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Writing in his latest Fact Files column for Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, the German football insider outlined: “So far, the [Bundesliga] leaders have a strong squad from positions one to 18. If Jonathan Tah stays, another central defender may want to leave to play at another club: Piero Hincapié (22).

“The Ecuadorian is being courted by English clubs like Tottenham. Transfer fee: at least €40m, which Simon Rolfes and Xabi Alonso could immediately invest in the new team.”

Falk didn’t specify Liverpool among the English clubs who are courting Hincapie, but the Ecuador defender has been linked with the Reds intermittently for the past few months, so there’s a strong possibility that they may still be interested in him.

Primarily a centre-back but also capable of lining out on the left flank (Transfermarkt), the 22-year-old is renowned for being remarkably comfortable in possession of the ball.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 1% of positional peers in Europe’s five main leagues over the past 12 months for progressive carries per 90 (2.22), and also the top 8% for passes per 90 (83.93) and progressive passes per game (5.73).

If Liverpool’s next manager is someone who places huge value in playing out from the back and having defenders who are astute with the ball at their feet, then they might well fancy a move for Hincapie, especially if the Ecuadorian is open to departing Leverkusen.

It remains to be seen whether he’s truly on the Anfield wish list for the summer, but his name could be one to watch over the coming weeks.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Could a surprise candidate now replace Klopp? The search after Xabi Alonso, and much more!

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(Video) Xabi Alonso delivers statement that will end Liverpool fans’ dreams of Anfield arrival

Peter Kenny Jones — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 14:25:30 +0000

Many Liverpool fans wanted Xabi Alonso to be the man who replaced Jurgen Klopp this summer but he has now confirmed the news that had been circling before his press conference.

Speaking to the media, the Spaniard said: “Last week I had a meeting [with club officials] and informed them of the decision to continue being coach of Bayer Leverkusen.

“After lot of talks about my future, I used the break to reflect and make my decision. I feel this is the right place to be for me as a young coach. My job at Bayer is not over. I want to help the club, help the players to develop, the board is great … it’s all fantastic here.

“All my cards on the table. I have thought about the decision because you need to reflect well. Once I took it I felt I needed to share it with everyone. It is a sign of respect. I informed the players at a team talk this morning. We have prepared in a normal way.

“You guys did a lot of speculation – even since last May! It’s part of the business, and I haven’t been stressed by it. It was important it wasn’t affecting the team and the mentality of the team was good. Everything is clear.”

That’s it then, we can rule out the 42-year-old to be taking over at Anfield and the search will go on for Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards to find a new candidate.

As a former player and fan favourite as a Red, we can only wish the ex-midfielder all the best for the future and perhaps our paths will cross before the end of this campaign.

You can watch Alonso’s comments (from 7:40) via Bayer 04 Leverkusen on YouTube:

EOTK Close-up with Gregory Vignal: LFC Legends with Eriksson, Klopp’s successor & more

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(Video) Leverkusen ace already seems to be yearning for Liverpool showdown in Europa League final

Liam Togher — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 07:49:10 +0000

The possibility of a Bayer Leverkusen v Liverpool final in the Europa League increased significantly after the recent draw ensured that the teams would be kept apart until then, should they continue to progress in the competition.

One player from Xabi Alonso’s squad already seems to be relishing the prospect of coming up against the Reds in Dublin eight weeks from today.

During a training session with the Netherlands squad earlier this week, Jeremie Frimpong shaped up to take a penalty, grasping the ball and taunting Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo by confidently stating: “Europa League final, last penalty against Liverpool!”

As the Leverkusen wing-back set himself up for the spot kick, the ball that he’d placed was dislodged by another thrown by a teammate, prompting amusement among those watching on.

There are still two rounds to negotiate before any team left in the Europa League can truly look ahead to the final, but Frimpong certainly appears to be yearning for a crack at Liverpool in the Irish capital on 22 May!

You can view Frimpong’s comments below (from 7:22), via OnsOranje on YouTube:

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‘Fewer believe…’ – German journalist shares Xabi Alonso claim which could sicken Liverpool fans

Liam Togher — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 10:36:18 +0000

A reliable German football reporter has shared his latest information on Xabi Alonso, and it doesn’t make for encouraging reading from a Liverpool perspective.

The Bayer Leverkusen boss remains the favourite of many to take over from Jurgen Klopp at Anfield in the summer, but his phenomenal work in the Bundesliga has also prompted interest from Bayern Munich, with another of his former clubs in Real Madrid being cited as a possible destination too.

Indeed, writing in his Fact Files for Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, Christian Falk claimed that the Bernabeu could be the 42-year-old’s next move once his time at the BayArena concludes.

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The reporter outlined: “Xabi Alonso remains silent about his future. Fewer and fewer believe that it will be Liverpool FC. FC Bayern is also still waiting for a signal from Alonso. Leverkusen officials remain adamant that Alonso will continue to be their coach next season.

“There is now a rumour: Alonso is staying in Leverkusen to become Carlo Ancelotti’s successor at Real Madrid. Ancelotti has extended his contract with Real Madrid until 2026.

“Alonso’s contract in Leverkusen is valid for just as long. Alonso, who also only extended his contract in the summer, could remain loyal to his club – and then return to his home country of Spain.”

About the only thing we can say with much certainly regarding Alonso’s future is that it’s very much in his hands, considering how vastly successful his time at Leverkusen has been.

Were he to request improved terms to stay with the Bundesliga leaders, he could just name his price and the board would surely oblige. In a similar vein, with Liverpool and Bayern both clamouring to get him, he’ll know that he has his pick of either club to the extent that he may be able to dictate matters to a significant degree.

Falk’s assertion that ‘fewer believe’ the 42-year-old will replace Klopp at Anfield could sicken Reds supporters who are pinning their hopes on the Spaniard coming in at the end of May, especially if the plan is for him to play the long game over possibly taking over from Ancelotti in Madrid.

The risk of that possible strategy is that, by the time the Bernabeu job becomes available, Alonso’s stock mightn’t be as lofty as now if Leverkusen regress, or maybe the Los Blancos hierarchy become more enamoured by another coach who’s more in vogue by 2026.

Despite this less than auspicious update from one of Germany’s most trusted journalists, we remain hopeful that Liverpool will ultimately win the race for Alonso’s services, especially now that Richard Hughes is in place as sporting director to step up the manager search.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Michael Edwards and a multi-club model, Alonso’s Liverpool-esque moment and much more!

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‘We are planning…’ – Leverkusen chief fires Xabi Alonso statement of intent to Liverpool

Liam Togher — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 14:42:29 +0000

Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes are both in the door at Liverpool – will Xabi Alonso be next?

Not if Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro has his way, with the 59-year-old making it quite clear that they don’t intend losing their manager to prospective suitors such as the Reds and Bayern Munich.

The BayArena chief emphasised in an interview with Marca: “He [Alonso] has a contract until 2026 and we are planning the next season with him at full speed. Nothing makes us think that he will not continue with us. At the coaching level, he is the number one in the world at the moment.”

It comes as no surprise to hear Carro’s emphatic statement of intent regarding their intentions for Alonso, who looks set to guide the club to their first-ever Bundesliga title in rip-roaring fashion, with Leverkusen yet to lose a single game this season.

They’re also firmly in the hunt for Europa League glory, and destiny could well pit them against Liverpool in the final of that competition in Dublin in nine weeks’ time, should both sides progress through the next two rounds.

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Trusted journalists such as Fabrizio Romano have stressed repeatedly that the Reds’ search for Jurgen Klopp’s replacement wouldn’t truly take flight until a new sporting director was in place, but now that Hughes’ appointment to that position has been confirmed, the hunt for our next manager should duly accelerate.

Alonso is in the enviable position of having multiple options on the table – stay with Leverkusen or go to Liverpool/Bayern? – and given how much all three clubs want him, he can call the shots as to where he’ll be managing next season.

By getting the crucial boardroom appointments sorted, the hope is that Anfield chiefs can now press ahead with their charm offensive towards the 42-year-old, one which might just see him prove Carro’s confidence to be misplaced.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Michael Edwards and a multi-club model, Alonso’s Liverpool-esque moment and much more!

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Neil Jones explains why he’d have liked Liverpool to get Leverkusen in Europa League draw

Liam Togher — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 16:34:29 +0000

Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen are the two clear favourites to win the Europa League this year, and last Friday’s draw ensured that they won’t cross paths until the final, if they both make it to the Dublin showpiece.

If Jurgen Klopp’s side advance past Atalanta in the quarter-finals, they’d then face the winner of the Benfica v Marseille tie. On the other side of the draw, Xabi Alonso’s side meet West Ham next, with the winners then taking on either AC Milan or Roma.

While many Reds fans would likely have been relieved at being kept apart from the runaway Bundesliga leaders, who still haven’t lost a match all season, one journalist had actually been half-hoping to see the two teams paired together for a prospective semi-final.

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Writing for EOTK Insider, Neil Jones explained: “When the draw was made, some people were glad to have avoided Leverkusen. I actually think I wanted Liverpool to play them over two legs, especially to get Xabi Alonso back at Anfield and feel the love a little bit. I’m not sure he needs it, but perhaps just a reminder that this is a special place to come to.

“I’d have loved a semi-final second leg against Bayer Leverkusen for Liverpool – it would have been unbelievable! Imagine coming there with the game in the balance! I wouldn’t say I was hoping for Leverkusen, but I wouldn’t have been upset if Liverpool got it.

“I think the draw has worked out quite well for Liverpool in all facets otherwise, but I wouldn’t have been disappointed to see Liverpool get Leverkusen in the quarters or semis.”

Jones’ logic for wanting Liverpool v Leverkusen in the last four, instead of waiting until the final, actually makes plenty of sense in the context of the Reds’ hierarchy trying to entice Alonso to take over from Klopp as our next manager in the summer.

Imagine if the two sides were to have met at Anfield in the second leg of the semi-finals, amid the narrative of many LFC fans wanting the 42-year-old to replace the German in the dugout a few weeks later.

There are plenty of examples to showcase why the L4 venue is a stadium like no other when a potential passage to a European final is at stake, and the extraordinary atmosphere which would’ve been generated if Leverkusen were the visitors would surely have left a huge impression on the Spaniard.

As it is, the prospect of Alonso coming up against Klopp in what’d be the 56-year-old’s Liverpool swansong in Dublin remains on course, and that too could make for an incredible occasion if it were to materialise.

The dream scenario would be for that mouth-watering final pairing to occur, with the Reds giving their iconic manager a triumphant, trophy-winning send-off before his opposite number in the other dugout takes the reins thereafter.

Surely that’s not too much to ask…!

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Michael Edwards and a multi-club model, Alonso’s Liverpool-esque moment, how Reds must respond to United setback and much more!

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Liverpool to face Atalanta in Europa quarter-finals; Anfield leg first with possible Leverkusen final looming

Peter Kenny Jones — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 12:24:31 +0000

Liverpool fans were delighted to see a convincing 6-1 victory at home against Sparta Praha and that ensured safe passage to the quarter-final of the competition.

Our reward for this 11-2 aggregate win was to be drawn against Atalanta, with our tie at Anfield to be played first.

This will be the second time we have met the Italians in European competition, with both sides recording away victories during our group stage clashes in the Champions League three years ago.

After scoring five in Bergamo, where Diogo Jota scored a hat-trick, we suffered a 2-0 loss at home in the midst of a defensive crisis.

Jurgen Klopp’s side are totally different in 2024 though and we will be looking to book our place in the final four of the competition – in some style.

It was also revealed that, should we win against the Serie A outfit, then we will be facing the winners of Benfica vs. Marseille in a semi-final.

The next step allows us to possibly meet Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen in a final in Dublin, although there’s a lot of football still to be played for either team to book a place in Ireland.

It sets up an exciting route to European success though and a possible fairytale final.

You can view confirmation of the draw via @LFC on X:

We’ll face Atalanta in the #UEL quarter-final pic.twitter.com/lSGWpZEqq5

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 15, 2024

EOTK Insider: A tribute to Alex South; a remarkable man with a special Kop moment

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Christian Falk outlines what Xabi Alonso’s agent did ‘immediately’ after contact from Liverpool

Liam Togher — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 09:04:09 +0000

Christian Falk has revealed what Xabi Alonso’s agent did ‘immediately’ after he received contact from Liverpool regarding the Bayer Leverkusen manager.

The Reds are currently vying with Bayern Munich for the services of the 42-year-old, with both six-time European champions on the lookout for new coaches for next season amid the impending departures of Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel.

In his exclusive Fact Files column for CaughtOffside, the German football reporter pointed out how Alonso’s representative responded to the approaches from the Spaniard’s two main suitors.

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Falk outlined: “Xabi Alonso is still Munich’s dream coach. But – despite many reports – there were still no negotiations between Bayern and Alonso.

“What speaks for it: When Liverpool contacted Iñaki Ibáñez, Alonso’s agent, the agent immediately communicated the Reds’ interest to those in charge at Leverkusen. That didn’t happen in the case of Bayern.

“FC Bayern is still waiting for a signal from Alonso as to whether he can imagine a move to Munich. As soon as that happens, they would start negotiations.”

When it was reported by Sky Germany earlier this week that Bayern had opened discussions with Alonso, that seemed to represent a hammer blow to Liverpool’s hopes of hiring the club’s former midfielder.

However, Falk’s update suggests that the Munich giants aren’t that far along in proceedings, and that Ibanez may even have given the Merseysiders a slight edge, given how he instantly communicated LFC’s interest to the Leverkusen board but didn’t do so for the Bavarian outfit.

Considering the plethora of reports which emerge every day about the 42-year-old’s future, and which prospective suitor appears to have the upper hand, ascertaining the truth can be a matter of judging between the various news lines being communicated.

What offers encouragement for Liverpool fans in this instance is Falk’s status as one of the most reliable reporters in German football.

It’s still far too early to jump to any great conclusions that Alonso will definitely be coming back to Anfield, but for now we can still remain positive that it could be a viable possibility.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Michael Edwards’ future, Liverpool contract latest, Musiala to Anfield and much more!

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(Video) Michael Owen names the team he’d love to see Liverpool facing in ‘dream final’

Liam Togher — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 08:11:33 +0000

Michael Owen has named the team he’d love to see Liverpool coming up against in what he described as a ‘dream’ Europa League final pairing.

The Reds are as good as into the quarter-finals of the tournament following their 5-1 win away to Sparta Prague in their round of 16 first leg clash on Thursday, and they remain many people’s favourites to win the competition.

However, there’s a good chance that they may need to do what no team has managed this season – beat Bayer Leverkusen, with Xabi Alonso’s runaway Bundesliga leaders also still involved in the Europa League.

The showpiece in Dublin on 22 May could be Jürgen Klopp’s last game as Liverpool manager (if we don’t get to the FA Cup final), and the narrative of him coming up against his potential successor would add extra intrigue if those two clubs were to be the last couple standing.

Speaking on TNT Sports on Thursday night, Owen declared: “The dream final has got to be Leverkusen and Liverpool, in Dublin, last game of Jürgen Klopp, maybe the next game will be Alonso at Liverpool as a replacement. That’s the dream.”

Assuming there’s no unwanted drama at Anfield next Thursday, Liverpool would still have two rounds to battle through before the final, and Leverkusen aren’t the only team who could pose a real danger to the Reds.

Roma and Marseille enjoyed emphatic wins last night, while AC Milan also carry huge prestige. In another potential Klopp v next LFC manager clash, Ruben Amorim‘s Sporting Lisbon can’t be discounted either, should they prevail against Atalanta in the round of 16.

A Liverpool v Leverkusen final in Dublin would be a brilliant occasion, but there’s plenty of work still to be done before we can start to get giddy about that prospect.

You can view Owen’s comments below, via @footballontnt on X (formerly Twitter):

"The dream final has got to be Bayer Leverkusen and Liverpool… the last game of Jürgen Klopp" @themichaelowen picks his ideal #UEL final, whilst @RorySmith runs through other contenders for the competition…

@acjimbo pic.twitter.com/zBzdME2WIO

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 8, 2024

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‘I can guarantee…’ – Fabrizio Romano shares Alonso update which could give Liverpool fans hope

Liam Togher — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 07:50:45 +0000

An update from Fabrizio Romano may yet offer hope to Liverpool fans that Xabi Alonso could potentially still be our manager from next season.

On Monday, Sky Germany reported that Bayern Munich had ‘opened discussions’ with the Bayer Leverkusen boss regarding their managerial vacancy, news which seemed to represent a significant setback to the Reds’ pursuit of the 42-year-old.

However, in his latest Daily Briefing for CaughtOffside, the Italian insisted that the former Anfield midfielder remains fully focused on his current club, adding that ‘nothing is done’ with any prospective suitor.

Romano outlined: “We know Xabi Alonso is one of the names appreciated by Bayern, but how is all the speculation about the manager affecting his current club Bayer Leverkusen? Of course they are not happy with speculation, but it’s also part of the game.

“I can guarantee that Bayer and Xabi himself are 100% focused on this season, to make something historical, and at the moment we can see it’s not having a damaging effect on their form, which remains outstanding.

“Remember, nothing is done yet with Alonso and any other club precisely because Leverkusen are focused on winning titles, and it’s the same for Alonso.”

When Sky reported earlier this week that Bayern had opened talks with Alonso, it may have come as a big blow to Liverpool fans who feared that the Munich giants had surged ahead in the chase for the Leverkusen boss.

However, Romano’s update suggests that things haven’t progressed quite that far as of yet, and that none of the 42-year-old’s prospective suitors have made any significant advances for him while his focus is geared entirely on his team’s procession towards a first-ever Bundesliga title.

Nonetheless, the luxury of time is in ever-shorter supply for the Anfield hierarchy, with Die Werkself looking increasingly likely to be crowned champions with several matches to spare, and still no sign of a new sporting director on Merseyside to oversee the appointment of Jurgen Klopp’s eventual replacement.

It seems that Alonso’s future could be a topic of discussion for another few weeks yet, and that Liverpool may still have a realistic chance of hiring him, so long as they don’t dither with other crucial backroom hires and allow Bayern in to beat them to the punch.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Michael Edwards’ future, Liverpool contract latest, Musiala to Anfield? One Liverpool star has come alive in last three months and much more!

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Report shares three reasons why Xabi Alonso could be set to deliver crushing blow to Liverpool

Liam Togher — Sat, 24 Feb 2024 10:05:49 +0000

Liverpool fans championing the case for Xabi Alonso to take over from Jurgen Klopp at Anfield could be set for major disappointment, according to one report.

On Saturday morning, James Marshment claimed for TEAMtalk that the Reds are now fearful of missing out on the Bayer Leverkusen manager, with three reasons specified as to why the 42-year-old may be set to turn down any approach from the club with whom he won the Champions League as a player.

The Spaniard and his family are believed to be settled and happy in Germany, while he’s also thought to be reluctant to take on the unenviable task of being Klopp’s immediate successor, given the incumbent’s legendary reputation on Merseyside.

Furthermore, Alonso is ‘well aware that he may lack the experience required to take on such a high-pressure job at this moment in his career’, with a perception of the Liverpool gig as ‘right job, wrong time’ for a manager who’s seemingly happy to remain loyal to the runaway Bundesliga leaders for at least another year.

If these reports about Alonso’s apparent stance on the Liverpool manager’s job are true, it’ll come as a crushing blow to Reds fans who’d been fervently hoping that he’d take the reins from Klopp.

All of the reasons specified are legitimate grounds for potentially declining the gig, in particular his family’s reported happiness in Germany. It’d also be understandable if the 42-year-old feels that he wants to accrue more experience before taking on the challenge of managing LFC.

However, the Spaniard would be wise to heed the cautionary tale of Steven Gerrard, who three years ago would’ve seemed a prime candidate to manage his former club off the back of an unbeaten Scottish Premiership triumph with Rangers, only to see his stock nosedive in subsequent stints at Aston Villa and Al-Ettifaq.

Alonso is arguably the hottest managerial property in European football right now for clubs seeking a new head coach, but if his next couple of posts don’t go well, the opportunity to take charge of Liverpool mightn’t come his way again.

For now, we hope that this morning’s reports are premature and not reflective of the 42-year-old’s actual thoughts. We’d still love to see the current Leverkusen boss come in after Klopp, but if he’s adamant that it’s not the right move for him now, FSG must accept the decision and prioritise other candidates instead.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Klopp’s successor in the Portuguese league? FSG must learn from one summer transfer and much more!

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‘Right now…’ – Xabi Alonso publicly addresses Liverpool manager speculation

Liam Togher — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 14:57:04 +0000

Xabi Alonso has spoken out about the ongoing rumours linking him with the upcoming managerial vacancies at both Liverpool and Bayern Munich.

With Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel leaving their respective posts at the end of this season, two of the Spaniard’s former clubs are on the lookout for a new manager. They reportedly have the Bayer Leverkusen boss in their sights, with both having made contact with the Bundesliga leaders to that effect.

However, publicly at least, the 42-year-old is distancing himself from any such speculation, reiterating his commitment to his current employers.

In quotes shared by Fabrizio Romano on X, Alonso said: “Bayern, Liverpool? I have nothing new to say. Right now I’m Bayer Leverkusen coach and that’s certain. Regarding the future, I have nothing new to say. Call received from Bayern? That’s only hypothetical. Again, I have nothing new to say.”

Xabi Alonso on his future: “Bayern, Liverpool? I have nothing new to say”.

“Right now I'm Bayer Leverkusen coach and that's certain. Regarding the future, I have nothing new to say”.

“Call received from Bayern? That’s only hypotetical, again — I have nothing new to say”. pic.twitter.com/8EoAA0PAHu

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 22, 2024

It comes as no surprise that Alonso is refusing to get drawn into any of the speculation regarding his future, particularly with his Leverkusen side on course to win a first-ever Bundesliga title, which ironically would come at the expense of Tuchel’s Bayern.

Privately he may well be tempted by the reported interest from two of the biggest clubs in world football, particularly when he’s played for both, but in public he’s proving to be every bit as professional and dignified a manager as he was during his playing days.

There have been conflicting reports of late as to whether the 42-year-old would prefer to take over on Merseyside or in Munich, and it’s likely to be some time before we get a definite answer either way.

It’s now been nearly a month since Klopp confirmed that he’d be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season and we’re still no nearer to finding out who’ll have the unenviable task of succeeding him, although Alonso still seems the firm favourite despite his latest comments.

We can only watch and wait as the manager search continues throughout the spring.

#Ep102 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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‘For sure…’ – Fabrizio Romano shares morning update on Liverpool and Xabi Alonso

Liam Togher — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 08:08:41 +0000

Fabrizio Romano has shared his latest knowledge on Liverpool’s stance on Xabi Alonso with a Tuesday morning update.

The Italian used his Daily Briefing column with CaughtOffside to inform Reds fans of the club’s position on pursuing the Bayer Leverkusen manager, who’s the firm favourite to take over from Jurgen Klopp in the summer.

The journalist pointed out that while the 42-year-old is certainly a ‘strong candidate’ at Anfield, Merseyside chiefs are eager not to discommode his current club too much amid their charge towards what’d be a first-ever Bundesliga title.

Romano outlined: “Liverpool remain very interested in Xabi Alonso – they keep having contacts, but they also want to be respectful because it’s an important season for Bayer Leverkusen and they don’t want to disturb them.

“Still, it’s 100% confirmed that Liverpool want to go for Alonso. He’s not the only name on their list, but they are well informed on his contract situation – there is not a proper clause, but a gentleman’s agreement with the club.

“I’m not sure any concrete talks are imminent because of Leverkusen’s situation, but for sure Alonso is at the top of Liverpool’s list – he’s not the only one, but he’s a strong candidate for the Liverpool job.”

Morally at least, it seems as if Liverpool chiefs are going about their pursuit of Alonso in the right way, with an appreciation of how Leverkusen are on the cusp of potential history and a reluctant to unsettle the Bundesliga leaders.

The hope is that, in turn, the BayArena outfit would be more amenable to letting the 42-year-old go to Anfield in the summer if LFC are respectful in their dealings with the German club.

However, there’s a risk to that approach in potentially leaving the door open for another suitor to charge in directly to try and woo the Spaniard. It was reported in recent days that Bayern Munich are also interested in him as speculation continues to mount over Thomas Tuchel’s future at the Allianz Arena.

It does appear that Liverpool are at least making it known to Alonso that they want him as Klopp’s successor, even if it may take a bit more time before we see significant steps being made in their pursuit of him.

#Ep102 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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(Video) Europa League rival manager makes Liverpool statement our fans will love

Peter Kenny Jones — Thu, 15 Feb 2024 13:43:11 +0000

Liverpool fans are hoping that we can provide Jurgen Klopp with the best possible send-off at the end of this season and that includes possibly winning the Europa League too.

Speaking with the press ahead of a Europa League clash with Rennes, Stefano Pioli was asked the name the favourties to win the competition and said: “So, I say before putting Milan [as favourites], let’s go through this round and then after I’ll tell you where we are.

“Now, it could be Bayer Leverkusen, Liverpool and Atalanta, in my opinion that are the favorite teams too.”

It’s nice to hear that we are being spoken about so highly from those around Europe and let’s hope we live up to our reputation of being the ones to beat.

The prospect of meeting Bayer Leverkusen in a possible Dublin final will whet the appetite of many but there’s a lot of football to be played before that can happen.

You can watch Pioli’s comments on Liverpool (from 13:05) via EsteNews on YouTube:

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42-year-old tipped to replace Klopp has been urged to snub Liverpool

Saikat Chatterjee — Sat, 10 Feb 2024 14:30:00 +0000

Liverpool are on the lookout for a new manager and Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso is one of the names on their radar.

Alonso has had great success at Liverpool as a player. Despite that, former German player Lothar Matthaüs feels the 42-year-old should not return to the Merseyside club.

In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, Matthaus talked about the fact that Alonso has unfinished business at Leverkusen and he should stay at the club for longer.

The former German international feels there will be too much pressure on the former Liverpool midfielder at Anfield. It won’t be easy to replicate the kind of results Jurgen Klopp has managed. As a result, he should stay in Germany and continue to grow as a manager.

Mattaus said on Gazzetta dello Sport via SportWitness: “I think his job at Leverkusen is not finished: he was a coach before he sat on the bench and that helps him. It would be difficult to repeat Klopp’s results immediately, while in the Bundesliga he is more protected to grow and win. Then there will be time to go to a big team, maybe Real Madrid.”