Jurgen Klopp tipped for new job and Arsenal could help pave the way for Liverpool hero
Jurgen Klopp is reportedly in the running to be the next Real Madrid manager, with Los Blancos chiefs convinced he is the only candidate capable of fixing their issues
Ex-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is reportedly being considered for the Real Madrid managerial role if Carlo Ancelotti gets the boot. Ancelotti has had a challenging year at the Bernabeu, with Los Blancos currently second in LaLiga and teetering on the brink of a Champions League quarter-final exit.
They face Arsenal in the second leg of their quarter-final clash on Wednesday evening. However, they have a mountain to climb after suffering a 3-0 defeat in the first leg at the Emirates Stadium last week.
If Madrid do bow out of Europe as anticipated and fail to close Barcelona's current four-point lead at the top of LaLiga, it's widely believed that Ancelotti will be shown the door. Xabi Alonso has been the favourite to take over for some time now.
The former Liverpool midfielder enjoyed a successful five-year spell at the Bernabeu as a player, clinching LaLiga in 2012, two Copa del Rey titles and the 2014 Champions League. He has made a positive impression as the manager of Bayer Leverkusen since joining the German outfit in 2022.
Last season, he guided them to a Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double, with their only defeat in any competition coming in the Europa League final. However, they've had a tougher time this year and are currently six points behind Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich.
They were thrashed by Bayern in the Champions League Last 16 and suffered a surprise loss to third-tier Arminia Bielefeld in the DFB-Pokal semi-finals. As per Sport, these disappointing results have raised questions about whether Alonso is the right fit for Madrid.
The Spaniard is reportedly ready to step into Ancelotti's shoes, having caught the eye of Real Madrid's top brass over the years. However, Leverkusen's challenging season combined with Madrid's ambitions for a significant splash in the summer market has cast some doubts about Alonso's fit for the role.
Madrid insiders are hinting that the likelihood of targeting Klopp instead is picking up steam within the Bernabeu hierarchy. Advisers to president Florentino Perez are believed to be pushing the idea that Klopp might be the magic solution to their tactical woes, reports The Mirror.
The ex-Liverpool manager would be afforded 'much more room' for manoeuvre, and his track record with handling the pressures at a top-tier club has not gone unnoticed. Yet, there's an understanding that luring Klopp could pose a challenge.
Having just begun his gig as Red Bull's global head of soccer at the beginning of this calendar year, it’s thought that a tempting offer from Madrid would surely interest Klopp. The opportunity to lead a line-up starring the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Jude Bellingham may be too appealing to pass up.
When Klopp took up his position with Red Bull in January, he conceded that a return to coaching could allure him, but only under a specific proviso. The German declared: "I will not be the coach of a Red Bull team. That is a clear commitment.
"But I can't say I will never be a coach again in my life. I am probably the only person in this room who will be asked where are you in five years, I don't have a clue. But I will not be a replacement for one of the Red Bull coaches. I hope we can create a structure where these questions will not come up at all."