Luis Garcia Warns Xabi Alonso of ‘Difficult’ Transition Over Potential Move to Liverpool After Jurgen Klopp’s Shock Exit Decision

Soccer circles are on a quest to find Jurgen Klopp‘s replacement at Liverpool. Klopp shook the world by saying he would call his storied Liverpool stint quits at the end of this season. Liverpool icon and Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso is a name heavily pipped to replace the German when he leaves. Alonso is indeed building an impressive resume at top-seeded Leverkusen with 41 wins in 64 games. But is that enough to ‘match‘ the mighty Klopp’s ‘legacy‘ at Anfield? Alonso’s ex-teammate and former Red, Luis Garcia thinks not.

Xabi Alonso will likely remain focused on Bayer Leverkusen affairs for the time being. And Luis Garcia believes that is the right thing to do. Garcia revealed he is not a fan of ‘rushing things up,’ hinting Alonso should wait to return to Anfield.

If Alonso replaces Jurgen Klopp, the fanbase is predicted to not give him a ‘transition period’

Jurgen Klopp’s forthcoming Liverpool exit was the talking point in the latest episode of CBS Sports Golazo’s ‘Morning Footy’ show. The hosts asked Liverpool veteran Luis Garcia if Xabi Alonso replacing Klopp would be apt sooner rather than later. “Sometimes rushing things up is not very good. I’m not saying Xabi is not ready to handle high levels of management. I don’t want to bring Xabi right after Jurgen Klopp because the legacy that Jurgen left is so big that it is difficult to kind of match it,” said Luis Garcia. He then stated the importance of a certain transition period that Alonso could deprive himself of.

Garcia added, “Everyone is going to expect from Xabi. Not even a transition period. They want to deliver the best of the best. Challenging for every single trophy.” The former Liverpool man also said he is happy with the way things are going at Leverkusen. Furthermore, Alonso’s contract with the German side runs till 2026. Garcia, anyhow, hopes the Leverkusen boss will return to Anfield with more experience and confidence. However, for the time being, he chose another Reds legend ahead of Alonso to replace Jurgen Klopp.

Not Xabi Alonso, but this Reds legend could replace Klopp

The CBS host asked Luis Garcia to choose between Xabi Alonso and Steven Gerrard as to who should take over the Merseyside giants. After some thought, Garcia said, “I will take Steven Gerrard and place him in the Liverpool side because I think his personality will match the style of play of Liverpool at the moment.” Since Gerrard’s contractual obligation will keep him in Saudi Arabia’s Al Ettifaq for the time being, a quest for Jurgen Klopp’s replacement continues.

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But as Garcia rightly asserted, replacing Jurgen Klopp and matching his legacy is no walk in the park. He took Liverpool to new heights, one step at a time. He conquered Europe. And finally, the EPL, when Klopp led the Reds to their first league title in 30 years with a record 99 points. Now, after such a historic run, the German has grown ‘tired‘ and thinks it is time to rest.

However, the Anfield crowd won’t seem to rest until they find someone who can deliver like their beloved Jurgen.

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