Liverpool might be about to hire a Serie boss as their next manager.
That's according to his agent, at least, following new comments. The Merseysiders face the unenviable task of trying to replace their greatest manager for a generation or two when Jurgen Klopp departs the club this summer.
That job was only made more difficult when the widespread favourite for the role, Xabi Alonso, ruled himself out of the running last week, announcing his intention to remain in situ with undefeated Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen.
Thiago Motta weighing up options with Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Barcelona jobs upcoming
If the entire FourFourTwo writing team had agents, we’re fairly confident that we, too, would all have been linked with the Liverpool job by now too. And would you look at that, Thiago Motta’s representative has suggested the top brass at Anfield should look at none other than Thiago Motta.
As Calciomercato report (as relayed by Sport Witness), Motta’s agent Alessandro Canovi just happened to talk about how interesting it is that Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Barcelona all have managerial vacancies coming up this summer, with Thomas Tuchel and Xavi also having announced they will leave their posts at the end of the season.
That came after reports in the Italian press that Motta could be an option for any of the three clubs this summer. But Canovi is definitely, definitely not suggesting anything by talking publicly about those soon-to-be-empty dugouts. By the way, though, just so you know, apropos of nothing…Motta is out of contract at Bologna this summer.
“At the moment the only fact is that Motta has an expiring contract with Bologna,” Canovi continued.
“Will he stay at Bologna? I can’t say, because I have no negotiations with anyone. You can’t talk about things that aren’t in place.”
We think you just did, Alessandro.
Motta is a modern rarity with international caps for two countries – Brazil and Italy – and enjoyed an esteemed playing career at Barcelona, Atletico, Genoa, Inter and Paris Saint-Germain before hanging up his boots to move into coaching in 2018.
He has quickly rising through the ranks from PSG’s youth team, to a short-lived spell at Genoa, to twice successfully guiding Spezia away from the drop, before taking up his current position in September 2022.
Bologna have been able to muscle into the Champions League places this season – Motta’s first full season in charge – after decades of mid-table finishes at best and suffering relegation at worst.
If they can hold off Roma and Atalanta to make fourth place their own, or even overtake under-performing Juventus into third, it would be the club’s best league finish since they came a close third to Juve and Inter in 1966-67.
More Liverpool stories
Kylian Mbappe has been told to avoid signing for Real Madrid and go to Liverpool instead – while there are new signings on the horizon at Anfield. A potential Van Dijk successor could be bought, while one Brazilian wonderkid has been linked.
Meanwhile, Thiago Motta has been touted as an option to take over from Jurgen Klopp.
