It looks like Liverpool can wave their dream of hiring Bayer Leverkusen’s undefeated Xabi Alonso as the ideal Jürgen Klopp replacement this summer, because the Spanish coach is reportedly staying in the Bundesliga for another season.
That decision sends the Reds back to the drawing board, as they must scour their list of alternative targets and choose the best one to work with a returning Michael Edwards to build the next generation of title contenders in Liverpool.
Here are the three best possible alternate options for the Reds to consider with Alonso seemingly off the table.
Roberto De Zerbi
Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi was already one of the best tactical minds in European football before he took a Premier League gig, proving his worth at the Champions League level for Shakhtar Donetsk and with his innovative, troublesome Sassuolo sides in Serie A.
De Zerbi was an immediate hit in English football, taking Brighton to the Europa League in an incredible feat in just his first season at the helm of the Seagulls.
This season, Brighton have found things more difficult due to a combination of injuries and improved play from both Aston Villa and Tottenham, but they are still in the race for European places.
Now could be the time for De Zerbi to take the next step and join a bigger club with more resources. He already proved he can make it in the Premier League, now, De Zerbi may want to prove he can shine at the Champions League level.
Liverpool have the mentality as a club that suits De Zerbi, who is exciting and loves to play out on the front foot, just as Klopp brought that swagger to Liverpool following their doldrum period.
Hansi Flick
Hansi Flick is just as much of a swashbuckler as Roberto De Zerbi, and while he doesn’t have the same Cinderella vibe as the Italian coach, he has an even better resumé at football’s elite level.
The architect of Bayern Munich’s 8-2 drubbing of Barcelona in the 2019/20 Champions League campaign, Flick ran the table for Die Roten in Germany and Europe as a whole during a season in which everyone else was reeling from COVID-19.
Perhaps some will say Flick’s resumé has taken a hit because of the failings of the German national team, but all you have to do is watch Amazon clips of the reactions to his locker room speeches to see the problem truly lay with a complacent, entitled national team squad – many of those same players are holding back the falling Bayern juggernaut.
Flick only left Bayern because of gross incompetence from a front office that now no longer works for the club. He left at the right time. And he is just in time to take over from another great German coach in Klopp, who received plenty of support to carry out his mission in Liverpool. That will surely appeal to Flick, too.
Rúben Amorim
Rúben Amorim may not have the same buzz or resumé as either Hansi Flick or Roberto De Zerbi, but the Sporting CP manager is wanted by many clubs, including Brighton as a possible replacement for De Zerbi himself.
Excellent at working with young players and developing them into stars, Amorim can help Liverpool build a better pipeline from the academy to their first team and maximize the club’s players tactically.
Liverpool may try to go for a more proven name than Amorim, but so many big clubs around Europe have the coach on their radar for a reason. Tottenham seriously considered him, too, before snapping up Ange Postecoglou from Celtic.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He has been an editor for NFL Spin Zone, Daily DDT for pro wrestling, Autzen Zoo covering the Oregon Ducks, Musket Fire covering the New England Patriots, The Real Champs covering Real Madrid, Old Juve covering Juventus, Rush The Kop covering Liverpool, and Release The Knappen covering Schalke. His work has been featured in ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, and other outlets. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.