Xabi Alonso will NOT succeed Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool with Anfield icon set to stay at Bayer Leverkusen as Ruben Amorim emerges as new favourite

Liverpool and Bayern Munich have been dealt a blow in their search for a new manager after both faced strong discouragement in their quest to appoint Xabi Alonso, with the Spaniard now likely to stay at Bayer Leverkusen.

Alonso had been heavily touted as Jurgen Klopp’s successor since the German announced he would be leaving the club this summer, but Liverpool had been given no reason to believe the former midfielder wanted to leave the Bundesliga leaders.

It now appears that 42-year-old Alonso is out of the running for the Anfield job, leaving Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim the leading candidate alongside Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi.

Amorim, 39, is likely to be interviewed at Liverpool and is believed to have scored well on internal data tests.

Bayern had openly stated their desire to recruit Alonso, perhaps a tactic to disrupt Leverkusen’s title bid, but president Uli Hoeness said on Thursday it would be “probably impossible” to lure him to Munich this year.

Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim has emerged as the new favorite for the Liverpool job

He added: ‘Alonso is more inclined to stay at Bayer Leverkusen given their current successes as he would not want to leave them behind. Let’s just say if he had two or three more years of success, it would probably be easier to get him out of there.”

Liverpool had never had confidence in Alonso’s appointment despite strong external ties.

Their recruitment drive, led by new sporting director Richard Hughes and CEO of Football Michael Edwards, will now focus on Amorim and De Zerbi, whose Brighton side come to Anfield on Sunday.

Alonso, who was seen as Liverpool’s dream target, has overseen a revolution at Bayer Leverkusen since joining in October 2022.

When he signed up they were in the relegation zone, but he sent them into the top six.

This season they are ten points clear of Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga, are unbeaten all season and are in the last eight of the Europa League for the second year in a row.

Liverpool were expected to compete with Bayern Munich for his signature, with Thomas Tuchel set to leave the latter this summer.

Bayern are faced with the prospect of their first season without winning a trophy since 2011/2012 – after 11 consecutive title wins – and therefore consider Tuchel redundant.

Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi is behind candidate Amorim for the position

Bayern honorary president Uli Hoeness said on Thursday that it would be “probably impossible” to lure Alonso away

Alonso could still make it against Liverpool this season, with the Merseyside side and Leverkusen both through to the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

They are on opposite sides of the draw, meaning they could meet in the final on May 22.

Reports in Germany this month claimed that Bayern were ahead of Liverpool in the race to hire Alonso, while former Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys claimed earlier this week that the 42-year-old manager had decided to move to Liverpool.

Yet it now appears that neither Bayern nor Liverpool will get their man.

Bayern’s honorary chairman Hoeness added: “Personally, we really appreciate Xabi Alonso, but you have to remember that he is now training at a club that is currently trying to become German champions.”