Three of the biggest clubs in world football in Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Liverpool are all on the hunt for new managers this summer.
Jurgen Klopp shock announcement that he is to leave Liverpool, Thomas Tuchel departing from Bayern Munich after an underwhelming season and Xavi stepping down at Barcelona means a huge managerial merry-go-round is on the cards.
Here are four managers each club are said to be considering and why they might be a good fit…
Xabi Alonso
Embed from Getty ImagesAlonso’s record with Bayern Leverkusen this season remains a perfect one across three different competitions, with the German club in pole position to land their first ever Bundesliga title while also still being in contention for the Europa League and DFB Pokal.
Bayern Munich have made early attempts to poach the Spaniard according to Sky Germany, with the current Bundesliga champions in need of a replacement for the departing Tuchel. Alonso spent three years as a player in Munich before he retired and has proven he can do it in German football, so appears the number one choice for the club.
Liverpool stand as the bookmakers’ favourites to land him, however, as they prepare for life without Klopp. Alonso is also a former Liverpool player having won the Champions League with the club and would have the fans’ backing as the Reds move into a new era, which could be vitally important.
Both clubs are the early frontrunners for the biggest up-and-coming manager in world football, but do not rule out other teams joining the race for his services over the next few months. A move to Barcelona for Alonso would be a huge shock given his obvious links to Bayern and Liverpool but reports also suggest the Catalan club would like to hire him.
Wherever Alonso ends up will likely kick-start a fierce battle between the two remaining clubs, who will compete for some of the other names in the frame…
Roberto De Zerbi
Embed from Getty ImagesDe Zerbi’s career progression as a manager has been helped by his high risk, high reward approach and has furthered his reputation by building on the good work left behind by Graham Potter at Brighton, reaching the Europa League with the Seagulls after a fine previous Premier League campaign.
Results lately have been more inconsistent as the club adapts to playing football domestically and in Europe, and having lost two crucial players from last season in Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister.
But given his attractive brand of football, the prospect of De Zerbi joining a club with higher quality players and a bigger spend in the transfer market is an intriguing one.
The Mirror reports that Bayern Munich will move for the Italian if they fail to land Alonso, but Liverpool and Barcelona are also said to be interested in the Italian. He might be a riskier appointment given he has yet to manage at the elite level and his style of play can backfire at times, but the rewards could be huge.
Ruben Amorim
Embed from Getty ImagesOne manager who has gone slightly under the radar this season is Sporting Lisbon head coach Ruben Amorim. His side lead the way in Liga Portugal and play an attractive brand of football that has piqued the interest of Europe’s best clubs.
His 3-4-3 formation is a flexible one, with Amorim’s team opting for a possession-based game and adopting an interchangeable frontline similar to what Klopp operates with at Liverpool.
The Mirror have reported that Liverpool had club representatives in Lisbon to watch Amorim’s Sporting side defeat Benfica 2-1 in the first leg of the Taca da Liga semi-finals.
The 39-year-old has constantly played down links to Merseyside with his contract at Sporting lasting until June 2026, but they also reportedly face competition from Bayern and Barca.
Amorim’s name has long been touted with some of Europe’s biggest jobs thanks to the fine work he has done in Portugal and could land one of the three big jobs available this summer.
Julian Nagelsmann
Embed from Getty ImagesNagelsmann all but confirmed his intention to return to club management after the Euros with Germany, where he is currently in temporary charge. “There is a high probability that I will sign before the European Championships if I have an offer that I am satisfied with,” he said.
Nagelsmann’s deal with Germany is set to expire following the conclusion of the Euros and it looks as though only winning it with the host nation would force a reconsideration for the former Bayern coach.
It was not too long ago that the German was one of the brightest managerial prospects around. Bayern won the race for his signature but after just 18 months in charge, Nagelsmann was sacked following struggles in the league. At the time, he was on a run of 60 wins in 84 games before his contract was terminated by Bayern in March 2023.
However, despite being sacked a year ago, Nagelsmann is reportedly under consideration by Bayern for a return to the club and is currently third favourite in the odds.
Still only 36, Naglesmann still has so much to offer in club management. The Telegraph have reported that Liverpool are eyeing him as a possible Alonso alternative and various reports have also linked him with a move to Barcelona, meaning he could be the subject of plenty of competition if he does indeed leave Germany after the tournament.
