sport news Ruben Amorim is working wonders in Portugal, while Roberto De Zerbi has ... trends now
Liverpool's search for a new manager took a huge hit on Friday as favourite for the job, Xabi Alonso, announced he will be staying at Bayer Leverkusen next season. So, who do the Reds turn to now?
From the moment Jurgen Klopp revealed he would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season, rumours linking Alonso to his former club were endless, but now that door has been shut due to his decision to stay at Leverkusen.
It means the returning Michael Edwards, CEO of Football, and new sporting director Richard Hughes' task to find the right man for the Reds hotseat has got that little bit harder.
Following in the footsteps of Klopp at Liverpool will be a tough ask for any manager, so the Reds will assess every candidate with due diligence to ensure they find the right person.
Ruben Amorim has taken Alonso's spot as front-runner to become Klopp's successor, while Roberto De Zerbi is not too far behind him on the shortlist.
Xabi Alonso is set to stay at Bayer Leverkusen, ruling him out of running for the Liverpool job
Jurgen Klopp revealed in January that he will be leaving the Reds at the end of the season
Liverpool's players are currently uncertain over who could replace Klopp at Anfield
Ruben Amorim and Roberto De Zerbi have emerged as the lead contenders to succeed Klopp
Liverpool are also admirers of Thomas Frank, who has done an exceptional job at Brentford, and Julian Nagelsmann is also a name that has been floating around.
However, with the shock revelation that Alonso will not be coming to Anfield, the door could be open to many new candidates.
Here, Mail Sport looks at eight potential candidates in the race to replace Klopp, now that Alonso has ruled himself out of contention.
Thomas Frank is believed to be admired by Liverpool after his success at Brentford
Julian Nagelsmann's contract with Germany is up after Euro 2024, making him available
Ruben Amorim
Now seemingly the favourite for the job, Amorim has impressed many within Europe after guiding Sporting CP to their first Portuguese league title in 19 years back in 2021.
The 39-year-old has led them back to the top of the pile in Portugal again this season as they sit one point clear of Benfica, with a game in hand and nine matches to go in total.
While Amorim may seem a bit young for a job of this magnitude, he has five years experience at the top level in Portugal.
His first senior managerial role came at Braga in 2019 where he impressed so much that Sporting slapped down £10m for him after just three months in the role. That is some statement for a manager that was inexperienced at the time, but it has obviously paid off.
Since then, the Lions have had a task on their hands to keep Amorim in Portugal, with teams such as Tottenham sniffing around for his signature before Ange Postecoglou filled their position.
The Sporting boss is known as an acute tactician who managed to outsmart Mikel Arteta's Arsenal - knocking the Gunners out of the Europa League last season - which easily could have led to the Spurs interest.
Amorim has also been likened to Jose Mourinho, so he would offer a different style than than that of Klopp. It could be an interesting new dynamic at Anfield if he does end up in the dugout.
Whatever happens, it seems like he has impressed the Liverpool hierachy as he is expected to be interviewed by the Reds.
The young European manager could be exactly what Liverpool need in an exciting but uncertain new era for them.
Amorim ended Sporting CP's 19-year league drought in 2021 and has attracted a lot of interest
Roberto De Zerbi
A term that is used a lot in English football is 'Premier League proven', and De Zerbi is certainly that.
The Italian manager's football has gone down a treat at Brighton as he led the Seagulls to a sixth place finish in the league last season, while also guiding them to the round of 16 of this year's Europa League.
It's easy to see why there is interest from the Liverpool camp as they know first hand what a De Zerbi side can do. Arguably one of their worst performances in the Klopp era came in a 3-0 defeat to the Seagulls in January last year - De Zerbi's side ripped them apart.
The Reds are still yet to beat Brighton under De Zerbi's stewardship after he arrived on the south coast in September 2022, but they are not the only side to have suffered to the Seagulls' fast-paced and free-flowing style of play.
The 44-year-old nurtured his craft at Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk in the years prior to his move to England.
His possession and attacking footballing philosophy is, as Klopp said, more like Manchester City, and would offer a different approach to Klopp's 'heavy metal' football.
Nevertheless, Klopp is a fan of De Zerbi's work, saying on Friday: 'He’s a top coach doing really well, super interesting to see.'
De Zerbi's Brighton side travel to Anfield on Sunday looking to upset the apple cart once again. It could prove to be a perfect audition opportunity for the Brighton boss.
De Zerbi has earned lots of praise for his fast-paced style of play during his time at Brighton
Julian Nagelsmann
If you think Amorim is young, Nagelsmann is even younger.
The 36-year-old manager is currently preparing to lead Germany on home soil at Euro 2024, but could he make a quick dash to Anfield following the conclusion of the tournament?
Nagelsmann's contract with the national side is set to end upon the completion of the Euros, meaning he could be available to the Reds.
The German boss knows what it's like to manage a big club with big personalities, as he did so at Bayern Munich between 2021 and 2023, winning three trophies.
However, although he may have
