How Xabi Alonso staying at Leverkusen has impacted Liverpool's managerial search

Liverpool are diverting their attention to other targets after leading contender Xabi Alonso confirmed he would not be succeeding Jurgen Klopp as manager.

Alonso announced last week he would be staying at Bayer Leverkusen next season despite being top of both Liverpool and Bayern Munich's wish-lists for new bosses.

The Reds' search has been ongoing for several months after Klopp revealed to the board privately in November he would stand down at the end of the season. Liverpool began compiling potential names using a data-led approach and always planned to start interviewing candidates after the appointments of Michael Edwards as FSG's CEO of Football and Richard Hughes as sporting director. The latter's gardening leave at Bournemouth is flexible due to the good relationship between the two clubs and he will therefore be allowed to play a leading role in the manager search.

90min revealed in February that Alonso was indeed one of Liverpool's top choices for the job, though they had a seven-man shortlist, and they are now whittling down those candidates now their new club structure is in place.

Alonso was identified as a great fit with the use of the club's data - which also looks at wider aspects such as budgets worked with and club models worked under - as well as through due diligence regarding style, personality and man management. Sporting CP's Ruben Amorim, Brighton & Hove Albion's Roberto De Zerbi and Germany's Julian Nagelsmann also scored highly among the top contenders left in the running.

Sources close to Liverpool claim the club are placing a high emphasis on 'attitude and involvement' in recruitment, looking at how well a manager wants in the collaborative process and at what approach they take in the club's pitch to potential new signings. The club would prefer to bring in a new boss who is prepared to get their hands dirty once a target has been identified.

Liverpool are also mindful over the style of football the new manager would want to play, hoping to secure a candidate that provides continuity with Klopp's philosophy.

Amorim is almost certainly expected to be on Liverpool's final list of contenders, while they are aware of De Zerbi's release clause of around £13m, although nothing has progressed with him to date and he is also under consideration at Bayern.

Meanwhile, due diligence is still being done on Nagelsmann, including the reasons he was surprisingly sacked by Bayern in March 2023. The disadvantage of Nagelsmann is he is not available until after this summer's European Championships, meaning he may not be able to start with a new club until mid-July.

Inter's Simone Inzaghi and Bologna's Thiago Motta have also both been discussed as Liverpool work out who they wish to interview.

The expectation at Liverpool is they will have a new manager in place before the end of the 2023/24 season and the club remain calm about the situation, although an official announcement rather than just securing a private appointment will depend on the candidate chosen and when the timing is right. Liverpool want to get a manager in place, but not disrupt any club in the run-in to the season's end, nor overshadow Klopp's own departure and emotional farewell, especially with two trophies still to play for.

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