Xabi Alonso will NOT succeed Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool with Anfield icon set to stay at Bayer Leverkusen as Ruben Amorim emerges as new favourite

Liverpool and Bayern Munich have been dealt a blow in their search for a new manager after both received strong discouragement in their quest to appoint Xabi Alonso, with the Spaniard now likely to stay at Bayer Leverkusen.

Alonso had been strongly mooted as a Jurgen Klopp successor since the German announced he was to leave the club this summer, but Liverpool had been given no reason to believe the former midfielder wanted to leave the Bundesliga leaders.

It now appears Alonso, 42, is out of the running for the Anfield job, which makes Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim the leading candidate alongside Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi. 

Amorim, 39, will likely get an interview at Liverpool and it is believed he scored well on internal data tests.

Bayern had been public in their desire to recruit Alonso, perhaps a tactic to unsettle Leverkusen’s title tilt, but president Uli Hoeness on Thursday said it would be ‘probably impossible’ to lure him to Munich this year.

He added: ‘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.’

Liverpool had never been confident on appointing Alonso despite strong external links. 

Their recruitment drive, led by new sporting director Richard Hughes and CEO of Football Michael Edwards, now turns to Amorim and De Zerbi, whose Brighton side come to Anfield on Sunday.

Alonso, who was seen as Liverpool's dream target, has overseen a revolution at Bayer Leverkusen since joining in October 2022.

When he signed up, they were in the relegation zone but he steered them into the top six.

This campaign, they are 10 points clear of Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga, unbeaten all season, and into the last eight of the Europa League for a second year running. 

It has been a historic season, with Leverkusen on course to lift their first Bundesliga title barring an almighty breakdown, and they have only conceded 18 goals in the process. 

After cutting his teeth for three seasons with Real Sociedad B, he has re-energised the Rhine club and won 50 of his 75 games in charge, only losing 10. 

Liverpool were expected to compete with Bayern Munich for his signature, given that Thomas Tuchel will depart the latter in the summer. 

Bayern are facing the prospect of their first season without winning a trophy since 2011-12 - following 11 consecutive title wins - and have thus deemed Tuchel surplus to requirements.

Liverpool's attention now turns to Amorim and De Zerbi at the top of their shortlist, both candidates with considerable credentials. 

Amorim, 39, has already led Sporting CP to one Portuguese league title and they are top of the table again this time around.

De Zerbi guided Brighton to sixth in the Premier League last season and got them to the last 16 of the Europa League in their maiden continental venture.  

Alonso could still manage against Liverpool this season, with the Merseyside outfit and Leverkusen both through to the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

They are on opposite sides of the draw, meaning they could meet in the final on May 22.

Reports in Germany this month had claimed that Bayern were ahead of Liverpool in the race to hire Alonso, while former Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys claimed earlier this week that the 42-year-old manager had decided to move to Liverpool.

Yet it now appears that neither Bayern or Liverpool will get their man.

Bayern honorary president Hoeness added: 'I personally, we all, extremely appreciate Xabi Alonso, but you mustn’t forget that he is now training at a club that is currently in the process of becoming German champions.'

Bayern could reportedly turn to Ralf Rangnick as their successor to Tuchel - something Manchester United fans might have a thing or two to say about. 

Rangnick, the current Austria manager, spent six months as United's interim boss in the 2021/22 season, steering them to sixth and the worst points total in their Premier League history.