Former Barcelona manager spotted at Anfield during Liverpool's win over Luton Town
A familiar face was spotted at Anfield in Liverpool's recent 4-1 win at home against relegation-threatened Luton Town. With the Reds still searching for a replacement for the outgoing Jurgen Klopp, it was interesting on the part of former Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman to attend the said bout.
Despite being 1-0 down during their walk back to the tunnel at halftime, Liverpool mounted a stunning comeback, scoring four goals in the latter half to secure all three points.
As a result, the Merseyside outfit also managed to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League by four points, with second-placed Manchester City at 56 points.
Koeman was also present among the Anfield crowd to witness Liverpool's emphatic resurgence. The Dutch tactician has formerly coached Barcelona, Southampton, and the Reds' cross-city rivals Everton.
At first glance, the appearance of a former Toffees manager at Anfield in an unrelated game should stir controversy among tabloids. However, considering Koeman's current employment with the Netherlands national team, his attendance becomes much more understandable.
Three players of Dutch nationality were spotted donning the red shirt in the aforementioned clash in the form of Virgil Van Dijk, Cody Gapko, and Ryan Gravenberch. While the former two were successful in etching their names on the scoresheet, the 21-year-old midfielder aided his side with another solid performance in the center of the pitch.
The 60-year-old footballer-turned-manager has regularly been following Liverpool's matches lately, as evident by his presence in last month's clash between Chelsea and Jurgen Klopp's men.
Xabi Alonso's preference reported amidst interest from Liverpool and Bayern Munich
A number of European giants will be in the market for a managerial change next term, specifically including Liverpool, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich. With the heightened demand for quality managers, Xabi Alonso's name has been linked with every big team following his outstanding return with an underrated Bayer Leverkusen side this season.
According to a recent report by renowned Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg, the 42-year-old Spaniard apparently fancies a move to Bayern Munich over Anfield. Plettenberg has claimed (via Liverpool.com),
It is not 100 per cent clear that he will say ‘yes’ to Bayern...But my information is at this stage, Xabi Alonso is more willing to join Bayern Munich instead of joining Liverpool.
The update would come as a blow to the Reds fans who would have hoped Alonso to follow Jurgen Klopp's career path from Germany to England. Nevertheless, all reports indicate that the Spanish tactician is currently focused on his job with Die Werkself and the daunting task of leading them to their first-ever Bundesliga title.