Alonso won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005 and has become one of Europe's most popular coaches after two successful seasons with the German side.

The former Real Sociedad coach took over the reins of Leverkusen in October 2022 when the club was bottom of the table.

In Alonso's second season as coach, Leverkusen remains unbeaten in all competitions and is expected to end Bayern's 11-year Bundesliga title dominance.

Following Jurgen Klopp's shock announcement in January that he would leave Liverpool this summer, Alonso has emerged as one of the frontrunners to replace the German manager among Klopp fans, who have linked the Spaniard to Considered a club legend.

However, Paul Joyce era Alonso is reportedly set to stay in Germany and is therefore no longer on Liverpool's summer shortlist.

Liverpool will now reportedly turn their attention to Sporting Lisbon's Ruben Amorim and Brighton's Roberto De Zerbi.

Amorim is said to be popular among the chieftains at Anfield.

In 2021, he led Sporting Lisbon to its first league title in 19 years. Since then, he has won two domestic cup titles and led the team into the European knockout rounds.

Anyone who has followed the Premier League over the past two seasons will be well aware of De Zerbi's standout performances.

His playing style has attracted the attention of a number of top clubs and he has Premier League experience.

The Italian guided the Seagulls to the last 16 of the Europa League but lost to Roma in their first season of UEFA competition.

Liverpool won't be the only club disappointed with Alonso's current absence.

German giants Bayern Munich and the 42-year-old's other former club Real Madrid are also interested in the young coach.

Liverpool's search for a new manager for next season appears to be a little more difficult than many expected.

If De Zerbi emerges as a favorite due to his Premier League experience, the English club will face competition from Bayern Munich, who have also expressed an interest in signing him.

Like Liverpool's Klopp, current Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel has also confirmed that he will leave the club at the end of the season.

This means that two of the biggest names in European football will be gearing up to compete for the best new manager of their respective clubs ahead of the new season.

In an exclusive interview sky germanyBayern sporting director Max Eberl said the club had “met a lot of exciting people” as it continues to search for Tuchel's replacement.

“The search for a coach is ongoing,” Eberl said. “But I won't talk about individual names. It's not my style to discuss these topics in public.

“It was clear we needed a coach from the summer and obviously we're having very intense discussions now and meeting a lot of exciting people.

“We will try to make the best decision for Bayern. What's the hurry now? It's the beginning of April. We still have a little time.”

The search for a new manager will be top of mind for Liverpool fans as they host De Zerbi's Brighton and Hove Albion this weekend.

The club is within striking distance of a first Premier League title since 2020 and is level on points with Mikel Arteta's Arsenal at the top of the table.

The match kicks off at Anfield on Sunday at 2pm.

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