Next Liverpool manager: Jamie Carragher confident he knows who Jurgen Klopp replacement will be

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher thinks another former Anfield favourite will be appointed the next manager at the club once Jurgen Klopp leaves his post at the end of the season.

Jurgen Klopp delivered the bombshell announcement last month that the current campaign would be his final one on Merseyside after a successful eight-and-a-half years in England. The decision leaves Liverpool with plenty of time to identify a suitable replacement to carry on the work of the German. Speaking on Monday Night Football, Carragher stated his belief that Xabi Alonso would be the man to replace Klopp following his impressive start to life with Bayer Leverkusen.

Carragher said: "If Xabi Alonso was to become the Liverpool manager, which I think he will, I feel they are quite fortunate given that Jurgen Klopp has chosen this moment to move on. The timing for Alonso to step in is pretty perfect given the job he's doing." Alonso spent five years at Liverpool between 2004 and 2009, scoring in the 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul as his rebound from a missed penalty completed a remarkable comeback against AC Milan. The Spaniard first went into management with Real Sociedad B before being appointed at Leverkusen in October 2022.

The German outfit were in a relegation battle when Alonso arrived last season now sit five points clear at the top of the Bundesliga after defeating Bayern Munich 3-0 in a crunch title clash on Saturday night.

Carragher added: "When you look at Alonso and what it looks like he's about to achieve with Bayer Leverkusen, and the result they had at the weekend, it is insightful to see if he is in the Premier League next season what is his way of playing and how he goes about it, and how it might be different to what we're seeing now with Klopp at Liverpool.

"At the weekend, it wasn't a normal Bayer Leverkusen performance in that they didn't dominate possession. They only had 39 per cent of the ball but they were fantastic defensively. For Bayer Leverkusen to be top of anything is pretty special. When you think of the squad they've got and the money that's being spent. When you ask if this is the perfect fit for Liverpool, what stands out for me are the number of passes and the amount that are short."