I believe that it would be a danger for Xabi Alonso to take over for Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool because there is a significant difference between the two

Despite the incredible turnaround that Xabi Alonso has brought about at Bayer Leverkusen, Ryan Babel believes that it is too soon for Alonso to receive the position of manager at Liverpool.

The Spaniard joined the German team in October 2022, when they were in the second-to-last position in the table. After making a comeback to finish sixth in the table and also making it to the semifinals of the Europa League, his first full season at the BayArena has continued to surpass all expectations even more.

Although they have never won the Bundesliga before, Leverkusen now holds a 10-point lead over Bayern Munich at the top of the table with eight games yet to play. Bayern Munich has never won the Bundesliga before. They have not suffered a single loss in any of the events they have participated in, and they have advanced to the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal and the quarter-finals of the Europa League. Alonso’s team is attempting to achieve a historic treble.

Now that it has been established that Jurgen Klopp would be resigning from his position as manager of Liverpool in the summer, Alonso is one of the leading candidates to succeed the German. However, a return to Anfield is not the only possible move that may be taken into consideration; Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are also reportedly interested in acquiring his services.

As a result of Thomas Tuchel’s departure from Bayern this summer, Alonso will have direct competition from the Bavarians. Real Madrid, on the other hand, is rumored to be interested in getting him to take over for Carlo Ancelotti once the latter’s contract at the Bernabeu expires. Meanwhile, Leverkusen is sure that they will be able to keep him for the time being.

The likes of Ruben Amorim of Sporting Lisbon, Roberto De Zerbi of Brighton & Hove Albion, and Julian Nagelsmann of Germany are also being considered as prospective successors to Jurgen Klopp. Of course, Alonso is not the only serious candidate who has been suggested as a possible successor to Klopp.

In spite of the fact that Babel is impressed by Alonso’s management career to this point, he is of the opinion that the Spaniard would be too much of a risk to replace Klopp at Liverpool. Babel played alongside Alonso for two seasons at Anfield.

This is what the Dutchman said in an exclusive interview with the ECHO: “I think maybe to replace Klopp, it would be a big risk for him.” It should come as no surprise that he is rapidly becoming into a capable manager.

“However, the crucial distinction between Leverkusen and Liverpool is that with Leverkusen, it is acceptable to perform well, whilst with Liverpool, it is imperative that you perform well. However, I believe that it would be more beneficial for him to intervene at a different moment.

Despite the fact that now is the ideal time to replace Klopp, I believe that it will be very challenging, and the amount of pressure that is being put on him is very tremendous.

The 69-cap Netherlands international Babel also shared his opinions on the form of the Dutch players in the Liverpool squad, expressing his happiness at Virgil van Dijk’s return to form. Babel is a member of the Netherlands national team.

Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo have both suffered for form and with injuries, and as a result, they have come under fire from certain parts of the Reds’ fanbase. However, the Reds’ captain has been one of the players who has stood out under Klopp this season.

Yet having played with Gravenberch at Ajax, and as a former forward who came immediately to the Premier League from the Eredivisie himself, he urged for patience when it comes to his former team-mate and Gakpo, before encouraging supporters both will come good for Liverpool in time.

As he reflected on Liverpool’s season up to this point, he stated, “Obviously, it is clear that Van Dijk’s performances are very important.” I was overjoyed and glad to see Gravenberch join the team during the summer of last year.

I believe that he requires some time to adjust to his new environment, but once he does, I believe that he has the potential to be an extremely valuable asset to Liverpool. His skill will soon be seen to all of us.

As far as I am concerned, Gakpo is an outstanding player. Whether he plays as a false nine or the left winger is, of course, contingent upon how Liverpool conducts their game and the team that they are competing against. In each of them, he is capable.

It is not an easy transition for him to make the transition from the Dutch league to the Premier League. At all times, you will require a small bit of time.

“I can think of a vast number of athletes who, at the beginning of their careers, did not always perform excellently. To put it simply, the Premier League is a highly challenging competition. But once they have found their footing and gained the confidence, I have no doubt that they will be OK.