Considering the heights to which Jurgen Klopp has taken Liverpool since being appointed and that he is considered one of the greatest managers in recent times, not just anybody would be able to come in and maintain the club's success.
Klopp recently announced he will be leaving the Merseyside club at the end of the season, and there may be only one person who could walk into Anfield and instantly command the respect of the players, the adoration of the fans, and the trust of the club's hierarchy.
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Coincidentally, that man is someone who has already tasted success in a Liverpool jersey and experienced the ecstasy of winning major trophies while wearing the badge. Given what he has already achieved in his short managerial career, Xabi Alonso may be the Reds' only hope after Klopp.
If the stars aligned and things work out in what would be a perfect manner, the Spaniard would take the wheel left vacant by Klopp. The task, however, would be far from easy. Alonso would have to maintain the standards set by his German counterpart, who took control in 2015 and has since taken the side back to the very top after years of waiting.
Five years later, he managed to lead the Reds to their first Premier League title in 30 years. Just a season before that, Liverpool fans were in dreamland as the German masterminded the club's sixth UEFA Champions League triumph. Klopp has also won the FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, the FA Cup as well as the Carabao Cup with the Reds, and was awarded the World's Best Club Coach award on two occasions. Clearly, the next manager will have big boots to fill.
The way in which he achieved such success is remarkable in itself. Since 2016, according to Transfermarkt, Liverpool have spent €886 million (around R18 billion) on players, which sounds like a lot but when you compare it to Chelsea, who have spent about €2 billion (R40 billion) in that same time, Manchester City, who forked out about €1.4 billion (R28 billion), and Manchester United, who splashed out an estimated €1.36 billion (R27 billion), the number becomes pretty impressive.
The German tactician also found success in player sales. According to LFChistory, he has sold 81 players for a whopping £576 million (R13 billion). The list of departures include notable names such as Philippe Coutinho, who was sold to Barcelona for a reported fee of £142 million (R3 billion) and Sadio Mane, who joined Bayern Munich for a reported fee of about £35 million (R836 million). More recently, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho were sold to the Saudi Pro League for an estimated combined fee of £52 million (R1.2 billion).
So, not only does Klopp's replacement have to be a brilliant tactician, but he also has to be a shrewd businessman and possess the ability to get the best out of the players he will already have at his disposal.
Alonso, in his short managerial career so far, has managed to prove that he has the tactical aptitude to lead a club to success. What he has achieved at current club Bayer Leverkusen is nothing short of spectacular. In October 2022, just before the Spaniard was appointed, the side was languishing at the bottom of the Bundesliga table. Fast-forward to little more than a year later and they are now title challengers, which says so much about the former Liverpool player's tactical ability as well as how he is able to get the best out of the players he has in front of him.
Die Werkself currently sit at the top of the table, two points ahead of Bayern Munich. After 20 games, Alonso and his men are still unbeaten. The Spanish tactician has also done relatively well on the business side of things. After the 2022/23 campaign, the side dipped into the transfer market to bring in a list of players that include former Manchester United goalkeeper Matej Kovar, Granit Xhaka from Arsenal, Victor Boniface from Union Saint-Gilloise, winger Nathan Tella from Southampton, and more for an estimated total fee of just €82 million (about R1.7 billion). And the club made about €69 million (R1.4 billion) from outgoings too!
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Alonso has already proved that he and Liverpool were a match made in heaven when he was a player. Today, with an eye for a bargain, his tactical know-how, the ability to build a title-challenging squad and get the best out of players, the pair would be well suited for one another yet again.
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