Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso has made a big impression in a short space of time in management.

Indeed, Alonso has widely been reported as the man being lined up to replace Carlo Ancelotti as Real Madrid manager at the end of the current season, with the Italian expected to be appointed the next boss of Brazil. And sources from Germany have claimed that Alonso's current club, Bayern Leverkusen, will not stand in the way of the Spaniard should he want to make the move.

Liverpool have been linked with appointing Alonso as a successor to Jurgen Klopp when the German finally departs Anfield, and the Reds should not be discouraged by the recent news to come out of Spain. FSG should keep the Basque boss top of their shortlist to manager the club should Klopp depart when his contract expires in the summer of 2026.

Xabi Alonso's managerial history Before getting into management, the midfielder had the privilege of playing under a number of incredibly talented tacticians and coaches. The list includes Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Rafael Benitez, and Vicente Del Bosque. The Spaniard will undoubtedly have used the experiences under these managers to help fuel his understanding of the game and evolve his thinking about how to approach the sport.

Alonso began his coaching career with the youth system of Real Madrid before moving to his boyhood club Real Sociedad to assume the role of their B-team manager.

During his time in charge of Real Sociedad B, he would guide the club to the Segunda Division, as he won promotion in his second season in charge. This success brought many admirers, including Borussia Monchengladbach, but he would turn down the managerial offer in March 2021.

The recent interest in the Basque man has come about due to the job he has done while in charge of Bayer Leverkusen, a club that he joined in October 2022 as they sat in 16th, flirting with relegation, but he would guide the club to a sixth-place finish in the Bundesliga and a Europa League semi-final before defeat to Mourinho's Roma.

The World Cup winner has continued this fine form in the 2023/24 season as Leverkusen currently sit unbeaten and top of the Bundesliga entering the international break, while also remaining unbeaten in the Europa League this campaign.

The ability of Alonso thus far in his career to be able to make every side he coaches better, improve the players, and bring about a winning mentality has been nothing short of remarkable. This track record has made many football supporters, particularly Real Madrid and Liverpool fans, deem him the man with the calibre to be their next manager.

Xabi Alonso's tactical approach Alonso looks to play fast, entertaining football that delivers results. His teams understand that goals will come if there is quality in the final third and that there is a constant supply. The Bayer Leverkusen manager has found a system that works for him during his time there: a 3-4-3 when the team is attacking but a 5-4-1 when the side is out of possession.

Many managers employ systems similar to these, but Alonso has the ability to ensure his players don't feel pressured to perform and are relaxed in order to achieve the high standards he knows they can meet.

The players understand that the approach is one of dominating the ball and playing through the lines from back to front. The two number 10s that Alonso employs are given space through the width of the two wide players.

Similar to the evolution of many sports, including Gaelic football and basketball, transition has become vital to bringing success, and Alonso has also identified the importance of transition as they look to either quickly counterattack, giving the opposition no time to set or defend, ensuring that the opponent cannot expose the potential unreadiness of his side.

Alonso's tactical genius can be summarised as a manager who ensures that his team is compact, dynamic in transition, and effective in attack. This makes a side coached by the Spaniard a formidable prospect and one that will always be mentioned in conversation when it comes to potential silverware.

Real Madrid managerial history The Spanish giants look to once again be turning to a relatively inexperienced former player to become their manager, with the prime example being Zinedine Zidane.

Alonso had a fantastic period at the club as he won much silverware, including a La Liga and Champions League, endearing himself to the fans, with nobody among the Los Blancos fanbase likely to be against their rumoured approach of the 41-year-old.

However, the former midfielder may be wary of accepting the position, as the managerial role at Real Madrid does not usually have a long shelf life, as the club has had six managerial changes in the last 10 years.

They are a tough club to please, as the 14-time European champions measure the success of their managers on the ability to win the most prestigious club competition or to ensure that the La Liga title is secured as a mere consolation should the manager fail to bring home the Champions League trophy.

Alonso may be appointed manager of the Los Merengues, but he may not be afforded the time to bring success and get his ideas across to the players to deliver the desired success. This would mean that he could still be appointed Klopp's successor once the German leaves Liverpool in 2026.

The Liverpool Job A Real Madrid side managed by Alonso looks increasingly likely for the 2024/25 season, but that does not mean that Liverpool should not have him at the top of their list of candidates when Klopp does leave the six-time European champions.

As mentioned, the longevity of Alonso in the Spanish capital is dependent on his ability to deliver the required success demanded by Florentino Perez.

Liverpool should monitor the Madrid situation closely, as the tactical approach adopted by Alonso would be a great evolution of the tactics employed by Klopp but also enough of a deviation to excite the fans for something new.

The hierarchy at Liverpool would be clever to lessen the blow of the loss of a legend in Klopp when the time comes for the return of another club great in Alonso. The need to have the fans onside for a new appointment is vital, as it allows the team to flourish and deliver the success that fans at Liverpool wish to experience.

Despite other candidates potentially being better placed to take over as manager of Liverpool once Klopp leaves, including Pep Lijnders and Roberto De Zerbi, the man that the Reds should appoint is Alonso.

The hero of Istanbul would bring much fanfare with his appointment, not simply as a return club legend but for the reasons stated above: Alonso is an incredible tactician and coach who brings the best out of his players with the ability to create a winning mentality around a club.

Xabi Alonso would be the perfect manager to replace Jurgen Klopp following the expiry of the German's deal in the summer of 2026.