Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has given his views on Jürgen Klopp’s successor.
Klopp has announced that he will step down as Liverpool manager at the end of the season. “Jurgen Klopp has decided to step down as Liverpool manager at the end of the season,” Liverpool announced on the club’s official website on Saturday.
Since taking the helm in 2015, Klopp has turned Liverpool into a global powerhouse. The Reds have won numerous trophies with him, including the UEFA Champions League, Premier League (PL), English Football League Cup (EFL Cup), and English FA Cup. This season, Liverpool is still in first place in the league.
With the shocking announcement of Klopp’s resignation, there’s already been talk of his successor. Carragher has also given his opinion. Carragher is a Liverpool youth legend who played 737 games for the Reds.
“Carragher has named his top candidates to succeed Klopp as Liverpool’s next manager,” the UK’s Sports Illustrated reported on Monday.
As expected, the frontrunner was Xabi Alonso. Alonso is the head coach of Leverkusen and has led the club to a breakout season. They have 15 wins and four draws in the Bundesliga this season, and are unbeaten, leading Bayern Munich at the top of the table.
“There’s no doubt about it,” Carragher said, according to the outlet. “He’s very well respected as a player at Liverpool, he’s a World Cup winner, he’s a UEFA Champions League winner,” he said, adding that not only his time at Liverpool but his entire career has been great.
As a manager, he said, he’s great. “What Alonso is doing at Leverkusen is the brightest, youngest thing in European soccer. There’s no doubt about that,” he said.
He has achieved so much as a player at Liverpool, and is currently in excellent form as a manager, that he should be Liverpool’s next manager.
Carragher named one more. Brighton and Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi. “He’s done a fantastic job, and the thing that stands out most about him is that he’s been able to do it without spending as much money on transfers as Klopp has,” Carragher reasoned.
De Jong’s Brighton are seventh in the table with eight wins, eight draws, and five losses this season. He has a solid philosophy and tactical ability. Last season, they finished sixth and qualified for the UEFA Europa League.
Alonso has also spoken out about his name being mentioned as the next Liverpool manager. When asked if he could rule out taking the Liverpool job, he said, “I don’t have a direct answer,” but left the door open.