When the news emerged that Jurgen Klopp would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season, the narrative of the Reds' season changed in an instant. Their last dance under their most successful Premier League manager of all time, those at Anfield will be desperate to see Klopp crowned champion once more to confirm the perfect ending.
Away from the action, however, FSG's focus must be on finding the right replacement and contact has already been made in pursuit of that, according to the latest reports.
Liverpool's next manager
So far, a number of names have been mentioned as potential options to replace Klopp, with Roberto De Zerbi, Julian Nagelsmann, and former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso all potentially on the shortlist. Whoever does come in will potentially have one of the toughest jobs in European football, as they attempt to complete the impossible task of following in the footsteps of a club legend.
There could also be concern that without Klopp, there's no guarantee that star players will stay put. As an era ends, certain players may feel as though it's the perfect time to end historic spells of their own. Club captain Virgil van Dijk has already had to clarify comments over his future.
The man who could be left dealing with situations of that type may well be Alonso. According to Foot Mercato, FSG and Liverpool have now made contact with Alonso over replacing Klopp at the end of the season. The Bayer Leverkusen manager reportedly sits top of Liverpool's list of candidates and whilst it remains to be seen whether the iconic midfielder will return to his former club, he's certainly proved his managerial ability in Germany.
"Extraordinary" Alonso continues to break records
When you look at Alonso's rise in the technical area, it's one that those around European football could have seen coming. After all, this is someone who played under and learned from Pep Guardiola, Rafa Benitez and Carlo Ancelotti, just to name a few. Combine the best parts of those and it's no wonder Leverkusen are on course to shock Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, having already matched their record of 30 games unbeaten in all competitions.
It's no surprise that those around the Premier League have already been full of praise for Alonso, with Brighton manager De Zerbi telling Cronache Di Spogliatoio, via Football Italia: "He is doing an extraordinary job. His team plays so well. The style is well-defined. He was already good when coaching Real Sociedad's second team three years ago and he is proving the same in a great club like Bayer Leverkusen."
