Gary Lineker believes ex-Liverpool star is the 'obvious replacement' for the departing Jurgen Klopp

Gary Lineker thinks former Liverpool midfielder and current Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso is an ideal candidate to replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool. This comes after the German announced that he would be leaving the Reds at the end of this season.

Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker said:

"The obvious replacement, there could be a couple, is Xabi Alonso. The job he is doing at Bayer Leverkusen I imagine he will be in their thoughts.

"I think he will also be in the thoughts of other football clubs. He is very young in his managerial career, slightly inexperienced, but the job he is doing at Bayer Leverkusen could attract clubs like Bayern Munich because things are not going so well for them.

"It will be interesting who they go for because they will need someone to follow in the footsteps of Jurgen Klopp which is a tremendously difficult thing to do."

Jurgen Klopp shocked the football world when he announced his decision to leave Liverpool at the end of the current campaign. The German led the side through tough times since joining in 2015, eventually establishing the Merseysiders as a dominant force in Europe. During his tenure, they won the Premier League and Champions League once.

Alonso has quickly developed into one of Europe's most sought-after managers. He played for the club between 2004 and 2009, making over 200 appearances before making a move to Real Madrid.

He led Bayer Leverkusen as the only remaining unbeaten team among Europe's top five leagues this season. They are currently atop the Bundesliga, leading Bayern Munich by four points.

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Jurgen Klopp explains decision to leave Liverpool

In a video released by the Reds' media, the German suggested that he was running out of energy and announced that he would be leaving the side after the 2023-24 campaign.

He said:

“It is that I am, how can I say it, running out of energy. I have no problem now, obviously, I knew it already for longer that I will have to announce it at one point, but I am absolutely fine now. I know that I cannot do the job again and again and again and again.

Klopp was hired in October 2015 following the departure of Brendan Rodgers. After finishing eighth in his first season with the Reds, he eventually made them regular title contenders. They played out an iconic title race with Manchester City in the 2018-19 season, finishing second with 97 points before securing the title in the next campaign with 99 points.

Currently, Liverpool finds themselves on top of the table, five points above City, who have a game in hand. They are also in the knockout stages of the Europa League and have already booked a final in the Carabao Cup against Chelsea.