Liverpool are in a commanding position this season, firing on all cylinders, but supporters will wish this campaign would stretch on eternally given that Jurgen Klopp is stepping down from his manager's position in the summer.
The German has restored an outfit in disarray and will forever be remembered as one of the greatest leaders in Liverpool's history, bringing success laden with silver across almost every front.
For now, the Reds will fight for honours this year, of which they are in an excellent position to do so, but FSG will be preparing for his departure and have compiled a shortlist of managers to take to the dugout from the 2024/25 term.
Liverpool's manager shortlist
Brighton & Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi is considered one of the favourites to succeed Klopp but it's rather clear that the most coveted option at this early stage is Spaniard Xabi Alonso.
Liverpool could unlock Diaz with "special" manager who's never lost to Klopp
Jurgen Klopp is approaching the end of his Anfield tenure and FSG are working to secure the perfect replacement.
ByAngus Sinclair
Indeed, according to BILD journalist Christian Falk, German Bundesliga table-toppers Bayer Leverkusen are preparing for the loss of manager Alonso to Liverpool in the summer.
A well-informed figure on the German scene, Falk is effectively confirming Liverpool's interest and that the 42-year-old's arrival is a concrete possibility.
Xabi Alonso is perfect for Darwin Nunez
It's worth noting that while Leverkusen are flying over in Germany and Alonso has fashioned a squad of slick attacking efficiency, he and Klopp are on opposite ends of the spectrum for attractive football, diametrically opposed even.
Where Liverpool implement swift, stomping transitions, Alonso favours elegance and control; where Liverpool thump pitch-splitting passes from deep, Die Werkself rotate round the pitch with electric short sequences.
It would take more than a little tweaking to make it work at Liverpool, with the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold's ranged passing to feel the effect of the system change in that regard – it would not negate their strengths, just force alteration, change.
However, Liverpool boast a crop of high-quality, tactically astute players who could thrive in such a system and one player who might be fully unlocked is Darwin Nunez, with the 24-year-old forward bearing similarities to Leverkusen focal point Victor Boniface.
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Player
Club
1.
Victor Boniface
Bayer Leverkusen
2.
Marcus Thuram
Inter Milan
3.
Nicolas Jackson
Chelsea
4.
Omar Marmoush
Eintracht Frankfurt
5.
Robert Lewandowski
Barcelona
Source: FBref
As per FBref, the Uruguayan talisman ranks among the top 4% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 12% for shot-creating actions, the top 13% for progressive carries and the top 1% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90.
While he is harangued for his profligacy (somewhat justifiable, it must be said), Nunez boasts a healthy return of 11 goals and 11 assists across just 21 starting appearances in all competitions this term, underscoring his value as a dynamic, multi-faceted talisman.
Boniface, Leverkusen's star man at the spearpoint, is cut from the same cloth and has scored 16 goals and provided eight assists this season, and given that the players have a semblance in their playing style, Alonso could indeed be the perfect manager to harness the very best of Nunez's talents.
Hailed as a "serial winner" by Paul Dalglish, Alonso is not long into the world of management but has already earned his stripes and could be the man to topple Bayern Munich's monopoly in the Bundesliga, and FSG must pull no punches in securing his services later this year.
