Jamie Carragher says ‘so respected’ Xabi Alonso front-runner for Liverpool job

Jamie Carragher believes former Liverpool team-mate Xabi Alonso is the favourite to replace outgoing manager Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.

Klopp has made the surprise announcement he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season, admitting he is “running out of energy” after entering into his ninth year in charge of the club.

While Carragher hopes the German can “go out with a bang”, attention inevitably turns to who will be his successor and Alonso and Brighton’s Roberto de Zerbi are the early contenders.

This news was always going to be a body blow to the club whenever it came.
I just thought it would be another few years away.
What a manager, what a man, let’s go out with a bang Jurgen! https://t.co/ajw372IEWX

— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) January 26, 2024

Carragher gives Alonso, 42, the edge due to his five-year playing stint at Liverpool and an impressive start to management with Bayer Leverkusen, who are currently top of the Bundesliga, ahead of Bayern Munich.

“We are losing one of the greatest managers in world football, one of the greatest managers Liverpool have ever had and it is a sad day, no doubt,” Carragher told Sky Sports.

“But in the same breath, we’ve got to be looking forward to the new man coming in, get behind him and support him. Bill Shankly left, Bob Paisley left, Kenny Dalglish left and Liverpool moves on.

“You can’t get away from Xabi Alonso because he’s so respected at Liverpool already for what he did as a player – he’s a Champions League winner, held himself with real class, he’s a World Cup winner.

“Right now, the job he’s done at Bayer Leverkusen, he looks like the brightest young thing in European football. It certainly makes him the front-runner.”

Liverpool have a five-point lead over Manchester