Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso has ruled himself out of the running for both the Liverpool and Bayern Munich jobs this summer. The Spaniard wants to stay at Bayer Leverkusen following a strong season, which sees his squad currently ten points clear at the top of the Bundesliga table.
Liverpool will now pursue other candidates to succeed Jürgen Klopp at the end of the season after he announced he would be departing Anfield after nine years in charge. According to The Times, the shortlist of other candidates being considered for the role has now been revealed.
The list consists of Sporting Club de Portugal boss Rúben Amorim, Brighton and Hove Albion head coach Roberto De Zerbi, Benfica manager Roger Schmidt and finally RC Lens coach Franck Haise.
Liverpool could be set to abandon a move for Real Madrid and Brazil star Rodrygo if Los Blancos do not lower the asking price for the winger. The Reds could be in the market for reinforcements on the wing, with Mohamed Salah’s long-term future yet to be decided, and reports suggest they have identified the Madrid man as a possible option for the summer.
However, according to Spanish outlet Fichajes, Carlo Ancelotti’s side is believed to be asking for around $107m (£85m/€100m) for Rodrygo, with Liverpool only prepared to offer $86m (£68m/€85m) for the player. This is already a dramatic increase from the initial offer from the Merseyside club, which is said to have come in at around $64m (£51m/€60m).
Newly appointed sporting director Richard Hughes is reportedly already assessing other options the club could explore, which include West Ham United winger Jarrod Bowen, Juventus ace Federico Chiesa and Borussia Dortmund star Donyell Malen. These are all players who could fill the potential void Salah would leave in the team, if the spending powers of the Saudi Pro League look to reignite their interest in the Egyptian forward.
The 31-year-old was previously the subject of a $189m (£150m/€175m) verbal bid from Al-Ittihad last summer, although this was quickly rebuffed by Liverpool as Jürgen Klopp looked to keep hold of his star man for the 2023/24 season. Salah will be entering the final year of his current deal at Anfield this summer, which could force Liverpool to cash in on the legendary forward.