Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah isn’t paying any attention to speculation regarding who could replace Jurgen Klopp as manager
With Xabi Alonso confirming that he will be staying on as Bayer Leverkusen manager, speculation regarding who will succeed Jurgen Klopp in the Liverpool dugout is about to ramp up.
The German confirmed back in January that he would step down as Reds boss at the end of the season after nine years at Anfield. And with former Liverpool midfielder Alonso overseeing a remarkable transformation at Bayer Leverkusen, with the German outfit now on the verge of winning their first Bundesliga title, the Spaniard was an obvious leading contender.
Yet as the March international break came to an end, it became public knowledge that the 42-year-old was going to spurn interest from both the Reds and Bayern Munich in order to stay at the BayArena. Consequently, the overriding question has become, ‘If Alonso isn’t the man to replace Klopp, then who is?’
Brighton & Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi remains under consideration, while Germany’s Julian Nagelsmann also continues to be linked with a potential move to Anfield, but it is Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim who currently is the club’s favoured target.
But despite all the twists and turns in the managerial race, Liverpool defender Jarell Qunasah is paying no attention to any of the speculation regarding who his next manager could be. With Premier League and Europa League titles still to fight for, the 21-year-old has no interest in outside distractions.
“Nothing, literally nothing,” he said when asked how much attention he had been paying to such talk. “There’s a lot bigger things in the near future that we’re playing for.
“We came into the international break off the (Manchester) United (FA Cup) game, but before that, it was can we win every cup and every game and that’s how it’s been all season.
“That was a massive opportunity that we missed there. We felt we were in complete control at times so to let it slip away like that was frustrating.
“We’ve had a few days to iron out a couple of things and get working back as a team and hopefully put a good push to the end of the season.
Quansah’s season so far has exceeded all expectations, with it easy to forget he hadn’t even made his senior debut for Liverpool prior to the trip to Newcastle United at the end of August.
Now, seven months on, he has made 25 appearances to date for the Reds, won his first trophy, scored his first senior goal, and become an England Under-21s international. And inevitably, he has further silverware in his sights before his manager’s exit.
The centre-back admits he wishes he had been able to play under Klopp for longer, as he paid tribute to his departing boss’ impact on his career to date.
“Out of possession, definitely,” he said, when asked how Klopp had helped improve his game. “He wants you to really work hard and put everything into games, that’s the bare minimum.
