Xabi Alonso looks to be the favourite for the Liverpool manager job once Jurgen Klopp steps down at the end of this season, so how could the Reds line up under the Spanish tactician if he does take the reins at Anfield?
Based on how Alonso has set his Bayer Leverkusen side up this season, we could see a new formation for Liverpool under their former midfielder, who seems to favour a 3-4-3 formation of sorts.
At Leverkusen, this has got some pretty incredible numbers out of Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo as wing-backs, with both players contributing heavily to the team’s attacking play with nine goals and six assists in total from the former, and ten goals and ten assists from the latter.
One can only imagine how much Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson could thrive under Alonso, but Neil Jones has also provided us with some insight into Leverkusen players he could perhaps sign for LFC if he switches Germany for England.
Here’s a look at a potential Liverpool line up under Alonso for next season…
Edmond Tapsoba has been a key part of the Leverkusen defence this season and it seems likely he’d be a fine fit at Liverpool, perhaps eventually being the long-term replacement for the ageing Virgil van Dijk, or, as in the formation above, offering the Dutchman more support alongside him in a back three that also includes Ibrahima Konate.
In attack, Florian Wirtz is also supposedly someone who could be worth watching for Liverpool, and he’s certainly shown himself to be an exciting young talent in Alonso’s Leverkusen side this term. The only issue is he’d clearly face a lot more competition on Merseyside with the presence of the likes of Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota, so expect some heavy rotation to this XI above, which also couldn’t quite find room for other top talents like Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch.