Liverpool are reportedly increasingly pessimistic about their chances of hiring top managerial candidate Xabi Alonso this summer.
The current Bayer Leverkusen boss and former Reds midfielder - a Champions League winner with Liverpool in 2005 - has long been regarded as the first choice to replace Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.
It has been just over two months since Klopp publicly announced that he would be leaving his position as head coach at the end of the season after nine years at the helm, sending shockwaves across the footballing landscape.
The Liverpool hierarchy were made aware of Klopp's plans towards the end of 2023, and Fenway Sports Group's search for a successor is expected to ramp up now that matters upstairs have been taken care of.
The American owners persuaded Michael Edwards to rejoin as FSG's CEO of Football, not long before Liverpool hired Richard Hughes as their new sporting director, and finding a new first-team manager is the next item on the agenda.
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Alonso to stay at Leverkusen
However, despite the expectation that Alonso could be lured back to Merseyside, The Times reports that the Reds no longer anticipate appointing the in-demand Spaniard as their new head coach.
Instead, Alonso has supposedly decided to remain with Bayer Leverkusen, who are on the cusp of winning the 2023-24 Bundesliga title as they sit 10 points clear of Bayern Munich at the top of the standings.
Leverkusen have always been confident of retaining Alonso's services for at least one more season amid interest from other European giants, including Barcelona and two more of his former clubs in Bayern and Real Madrid.
As a result, the report claims that Alonso is "unlikely" to be named on Liverpool's shortlist of prospective managers to replace Klopp, and the Spaniard's other suitors will also be forced to look elsewhere in their search for new head coaches.
Alonso's contract with the Bundesliga leaders runs until the summer of 2026, and the 42-year-old is understood to be keen on continuing his work with Die Werkself, who have won 50 of their 75 games under his wing since he took over in October 2022.
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What Alonso alternatives can Liverpool target?
While news of Alonso staying put at the BayArena will naturally lead to feelings of despondence among the Liverpool faithful, FSG and co have no time to waste in the Anfield boardroom and are said to have earmarked two ideal alternatives.
With Alonso out of the picture, Ruben Amorim of Sporting Lisbon and Brighton & Hove Albion's Roberto De Zerbi are understood to be at the top of the club's shortlist, the former thought to be at the head of the queue.
Amorim's services would not come cheap, though, as there is apparently a €20m (£17.1m) release clause in his contract with the Portuguese giants, while De Zerbi - also on Barcelona's radar - possesses a slightly more affordable option at €15m (£12.8m).
Teams do not always get what they pay for in football, though - especially in this day and age of astronomical transfer fees - and should the Reds opt to save their warchest for other areas, Julian Nagelsmann would be a cost-free option if his stint with Germany ends after the Euros.
For the time being, Klopp has a treble of trophies to pursue in his final months at the Liverpool helm, and the Reds' Premier League title charge continues at home to Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
Ben Knapton
