Michael Edwards is returning to Liverpool, and it seems that he already has a preference as to the identity of the Reds’ next manager.
The 44-year-old worked brilliantly in tandem with Jurgen Klopp during his previous spell at Anfield as sporting director, but the German will be leaving at the end of the season, leaving his successor with an incredibly hard act to follow.
According to HITC, Edwards and FSG are in ‘full agreement’ that Xabi Alonso would be ‘the best fit for the club’, with the Bayer Leverkusen boss working wonders in the Bundesliga and already having plenty of clout on Merseyside following five marvellous years with us as a player in the 2000s.
There’s believed to be a ‘confidence at Liverpool’ that the hierarchy will get their first choice, but they have alternatives in mind in case the Spaniard doesn’t work out, with Roberto De Zerbi and Julian Nagelsmann namechecked as two other viable candidates.
On top of this morning’s news about Edwards returning, Liverpool fans will also be encouraged to hear that Alonso is his preferred choice to take over from Klopp, and that there’s a confidence within the hierarchy that the 42-year-old can be enticed to Anfield from Leverkusen.
The battle with Bayern Munich for his services looks set to continue apace over the coming weeks, but with the Reds seemingly about to land Richard Hughes as sporting director, having the revamped boardroom in place should help considerably with LFC’s search for their next manager.
As for the alternative options mentioned in the report, De Zerbi is keeping Brighton in contention to qualify for Europe again for next season, although his team’s curious tendency to ship heavy defeats (Fulham and Roma offer two recent examples) may be a red flag.
Nagelsmann has already experienced some of the biggest coaching jobs in European football by the age of 36, while he’s currently set to become available once Germany’s involvement in Euro 2024 concludes, unless he’s offered and agrees to a renewal of terms with the country’s FA.
Alonso remains the preference of many Liverpool supporters, though, and it’s helpful that he also appears to be Edwards’ first choice to succeed Klopp. The next few weeks could possibly see some big developments in the managerial search.
More must-reads: