Liverpool icon explains why Alonso won’t replace Klopp despite Leverkusen’s ‘attractive’ football
Liverpool legend John Barnes is not sure if the stars will align for Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso to replace Jurgen Klopp as Reds manager.
Alonso has turned out to be a superb appointment for Leverkusen after guiding them to the Europa League semis and a sixth-place finish in the Bundesliga last term.
The German giants have started the new season in spectacular form. They are currently top of the Bundesliga above Bayern Munich with ten wins and one draw from their opening 11 fixtures.
Alonso has some good players at his disposal, such as Florian Wirtz, Victor Boniface, Granit Xhaka and Edmond Tapsoba, but the Spanish boss has taken a lot of these players to a level nobody expected.
Speaking to Wettbasis, Liverpool icon Barnes said Alonso’s success is not a surprise to him.
“I’m not surprised at all by how well Xabi Alonso has done because you know he’s an intelligent person,” Barnes said. “He understands football, he understands players. He’s modern, he understands systems.
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“He’s got a great pedigree in terms of where he’s played and the family he’s come from. He’s played in a football family for a long period of time so it doesn’t surprise me at all.”
Barnes continued: “In terms of what he’s doing now, I’m not surprised whatsoever and I’m sure he can continue doing so.
“Not to say Leverkusen are going to win the Bundesliga but in terms of maximising the potential of the team, I don’t think anybody could have done a better job.
“You’ve had a lot of players who’ve played under top managers but they aren’t good managers. So, you really have to have it within you to be able to understand what you want.
“Xabi Alonso has played under good managers, but he is his own man and he knows how he wants his team to play and they’re playing attractive, winning football at this moment.”
Despite his positive start to life at the BayArena, Alonso is unlikely to replace Klopp at Anfield, even if both are out of contract in 2026, Barnes reckons.
“Alonso is doing a great job at Leverkusen but Klopp is going to be at Liverpool for a few more years,” he noted.
“And when he (Klopp) decides to leave, if Alonso is at a mid-table Spanish team I don’t think he’s going to come to Liverpool.”
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