Liverpool supporters might not realise just how good Alonso's Leverkusen are

The former Liverpool midfielder has been linked with a move to Anfield following news of Klopp's plans to step down as manager this summer

Liverpool supporters might not realise just how good Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen really are

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While there is no figure in world football who looms quite as large as Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool don't have to look very far to find the man who could prove to be his most natural successor.

The Reds boss revealed his plans to leave the club in a bombshell interview on Friday morning, citing a lack of energy to keep competing at the top level in the Premier League as the chief factor behind his decision. As soon as the announcement hit Liverpool's official social media channels, the rumour mill went into overdrive, with speculation over who will take the reins at Anfield next season dominating all the headlines.

Pep Lijnders, Roberto de Zerbi and Steven Gerrard have all been touted to be in the mix for what is undeniably one of the most coveted - and most difficult - jobs in world football. But there's one name that seems to be at the very top of every Liverpool fan's wish list: Bayer Leverkusen boss, Xabi Alonso.

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Whisperings of Alonso's potential return to Merseyside are nothing new. The Spaniard - who was at the heart of the Reds' midfield for almost half a decade during his playing career - has established himself as one of the hottest managerial prospects in the game this term, leading his Leverkusen team to a 27-game unbeaten run in all competitions.

That the German outfit are the only side in Europe's top five leagues to have achieved that feat this season only serves to underscore quite how remarkably well he is doing at the BayArena. Leverkusen's impressive form sees them sitting pretty at the top of the Bundesliga, four points clear of perennial champions Bayern Munich.

If they go on to beat Thomas Tuchel's side to the title this season, it will a phenomenal feat. The club has never won the competition, finishing as runners-up on five occasions and earning the chastening epithet, 'Neverkusen'.

If they manage to break that duck in a few months time, Alonso will rightly be lauded as one of the best young managers in the game. But there will be many who question whether his work in west Germany qualifies him to take charge of his old club.

The 42-year-old only hung up his boots in 2017 and, before Leverkusen, had only managed Real Madrid's youth team and Real Sociedad B. During his time with the latter, Sociedad won promotion to the Spanish second division, although they were relegated back to the third tier after just one season.

It was a risk, then, for Leverkusen to hire him in October 2022. But with the team sat second-bottom of the Bundesliga, it was one that was worth taking. Just 15 months on, Die Schwarzroten are very much reaping the rewards of their bold strategy.

In addition to their exploits in the Bundesliga, Leverkusen have won each of their six games in the Europa League this term, scoring 19 goals along the way. They are a well-drilled side, renowned for their precision passing and counter-attacking prowess.

And Alonso's tactical acumen has drawn admiring glances from across Europe, with Tottenham Hotspur reportedly considering him as a managerial candidate before appointing Ange Postecoglu in the summer. The former Spain international signed a new contract at Leverkusen in May 2023, though, according to SportBILD - via Focus - there is a clause in that contract that could pave way to a return to one of his former clubs.

As such, that triumvirate - Real Madrid, Bayen Munich and Liverpool - have been suggested as potential destinations for the 42-year-old in the future. However, with the need for the Reds to get someone through the door ahead of next season, there are concerns the job at Anfield could be too much, too soon for Alonso.

Those concerns are, of course, justifiable. There is a certain romance to appointing club legends as managers. One only has to look at how Frank Lampard fared at Chelsea to see that the return of one of your most storied stars doesn't necessarily spell success on the pitch.

It is for that reason reports linking Steven Gerrard with a move to Liverpool have not been well-received in most quarters. While undeniably one of the club's greatest ever players, he is yet to show he has what it takes to excel in the Anfield dugout.

But Alonso feels different. That element of romanticism remains, but with it comes a sense that this is a manager who is destined for the very top. Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes has praised Alonso for instilling a sense of seriousness and maturity in Die Schwarzroten's football.

He is regarded as an adaptable, pragmatic coach, who values winning over being wedded to a strict stylistic philosophy. Under him, Leverkusen have enjoyed an average of 58% possession this term, and his attractive style of play looks like it would be well-suited to the players he would have as his disposal at Liverpool.

“It was clear Alonso was royalty after our first training session together in August 2004," Gerrard once said of his former teammate in 2017. "He was, by some distance, the best central midfielder I ever played alongside.”

While Alonso's midfield credentials don't dictate how well he will fare as a manager, that element of regality might just be exactly what Liverpool need when Klopp surrenders his crown.

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