EDWARDS BACK BRIEFING AGAIN: BLAME LAID FOR FIRST POST-KLOPP SNUB THAT LIVERPOOL HAD KNOWN ‘FOR SOME TIME’

Liverpool claim they had been ‘aware for some time’ that Xabi Alonso would not be available to replace Jurgen Klopp after they switched managerial targets.

It was reported by numerous sources on Thursday evening – clearly briefed by Liverpool in the same way they used to disseminate news when Michael Edwards was at the helm – that the Reds were moving on from Alonso being their primary target.

Ruben Amorim, who has Sporting top of the Portuguese league and in the semi-finals of their domestic cup, and Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi are now the leading candidates.

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But while the Daily Mail suggest that Liverpool’s plans have been dealt a blow as Alonso ‘turned them down’, other outlets insist the Reds have been aware of the reality of the situation for a while.

It is said that during their ‘due diligence’, Liverpool realised that Alonso was leaning towards staying at Leverkusen for at least another season to continue their brilliant but unlikely rise and lead them in the Champions League as probable German champions.

Paul Joyce of the Times, one of the most well-connected Liverpool journalists in the industry, says that the club ‘had already arrived at this understanding’ long ago ‘after extensive background checks.

David Ornstein and James Pearce of The Athletic add that ‘Liverpool have been aware for some time that Alonso was unlikely to leave Leverkusen this summer’.

They stress that Klopp’s current assistant Pep Lijnders ‘is not in the running’ for the job but ‘is on the shortlist to become the new Ajax manager’ in a potential reunion with Jordan Henderson.

READ MORE: Jordan Henderson reaches new nadir at Ajax as ‘square ball’ merchant gazes longingly at Liverpool

Another detail comes from Chris Bascombe of the Daily Telegraph, who writes:

From Liverpool’s perspective, the 42-year-old had frontrunner status thrust upon him externally immediately after Klopp announced that he will leave.

The implication that Liverpool never considered Alonso as their preferred appointment and he was instead anointed as such by people outside their inner circle is interesting. Jamie Carragher called his former teammate the “standout candidate” and a “perfect” fit.

Liverpool’s focus will turn to Amorim and De Zerbi instead, with both carrying reported release clauses in their current contracts. It would cost at least £17m to prise the former from Sporting, while the latter’s Brighton deal is thought to contain a £10m clause.

Bayern Munich must similarly look elsewhere for their next permanent manager for when Thomas Tuchel steps down this summer.

Honorary club president Uli Hoeness had already come close to admitting defeat over Alonso earlier this week, saying: “We’ll have to see if we can do it this year. It will be difficult, if not probably impossible.

“[Alonso] is more inclined to stay at Bayer Leverkusen in view of their current successes, because he would not want to leave them behind. Let’s say if he had two or three more years of success, it would probably be easier to bring him out of there.”

2024-03-29T10:02:48Z dg43tfdfdgfd