"He’d be a wonderful choice" - Steve McManaman wants former Liverpool star to become next Reds manager
Liverpool legend Steve McManaman has tipped former Reds star Xabi Alonso to replace Jurgen Klopp as the club's next manager. The pundit believes that the current Bayer Leverkusen head coach would be a wonderful choice to bring to Anfield.
It is no news anymore that Jurgen Klopp will step down from his role as Liverpool manager at the end of the season. The German tactician made the revelation a few weeks ago and it has birthed a lot of speculation about who will replace him at the helm.
There have been multiple names being linked with the job in recent weeks but none has resonated as much as Xabi Alonso's. The Spaniard's brilliant exploits in the Bundesliga this season have boosted his chances significantly.
The Bayer Leverkusen boss is quite a popular figure among Liverpool supporters. Now, he's even gotten the support of a club legend, with Steve McManaman going public with his support for the former midfielder.
Speaking on the Blood Red podcast, the former Reds star shared his verdict on the Spaniard's potential return to Anfield to replace Jurgen Klopp in the dugout.
“Xabi is doing great isn’t he? I know Xabi very well, I’m biased towards him," he said. "I just hope he’s successful, as a friend of mine I hope he wins the league."
"I don’t know if he fancies the Liverpool job yet and I wouldn’t ask him that, but he’d be a wonderful choice wouldn’t he, with the standing he has at Liverpool, he knows the city, he worked here and he lived here more importantly,” McManaman added.
Alonso is indeed growing tremendously in reputation as a manager. His Bayer Leverkusen side are the only team yet to taste defeat in all competitions across Europe's top five leagues so far this season. They currently lead the Bundesliga title race by 10 points and have made it into the round of 16 stage of the Europa League as well as the semifinals of the German Cup.
Liverpool superstar returns to training ahead of vital Premier League clash with Manchester City
Liverpool have received a massive boost ahead of their top-of-the-table clash with Manchester City in the Premier League this weekend. Their talisman Mohamed Salah has returned to training and could feature in the crunch fixture.
Salah has been on the sidelines for the last couple of weeks, after picking up a hamstring injury while representing Egypt at the African Cup of Nations 2023 back in February.
So far this season, the attacker has made 28 appearances for the Reds across all competitions, recording 19 goals and 10 assists to his name. Jurgen Klopp will be hoping that he gets back to top shape to inspire the team against City on Sunday, March 10.