Surprise candidate to take the Liverpool job comes out of nowhere after agent makes 'interesting' comment

An interesting report about Liverpool's ongoing search for Jurgen Klopp's successor has come to light as a number of high-profile names continue to be linked with the soon-to-be-vacant post.

Ruben Amorim, who won the title with Sporting in 2021 and is set to repeat that feat this season, has been tipped to take over the current Premier League leaders.

Another so-called 'leading candidate' to take the Anfield hot seat this summer is Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, according to Ben Jacobs, who says Liverpool have used data to create a list of options.

But in a somewhat surprising revelation, Thiago Motta has also been earmarked as an option.

After impressing in his managerial role in the Paris Saint-Germain youth set-up, former Italy international Motta enjoyed a spell at Spezia before being appointed Bologna head coach in the summer of 2022.

The 41-year-old has made a real impression with the Serie A side this season, with Bologna sitting in fourth ahead of the likes of Roma, Lazio, Napoli and Fiorentina.

In fact, Liverpool representatives were in attendance to watch Bologna’s 1-0 defeat against league leaders Inter Milan on March 9, according to Football Italia.

Motta's style of play that has certainly caught the eye, with his philosophy "intriguing" those behind the scenes at Liverpool, says transfer correspondent Dean Jones,

“Outside of the two main candidates, he has a very interesting football philosophy that is intriguing to many at Liverpool," Jones adds.

"Bologna play with a fluidity that is very rare. One thing that is important to Liverpool is that they have a football philosophy to follow but also that they play in a way that suits the squad and means they keep evolving.

“It’s important to stress that Motta is an outsider at this moment in time but that he is interesting to them."

Image credit: Getty

As well as the above comments, the Italian's agent, Alessandro Canovi, recently opened up on his client's future in an interview with TMW Radio via Calcio Mercato.

Here, he mentioned Liverpool, as well as two other top clubs in Europe.

“The situation of the big names? The confirmation of Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen has opened up several important candidatures for Liverpool and Bayern Munich. And there’s Barcelona," he said.

"They are three interesting and very coveted benches right now.”

Canovi went on to speak about his current situation at Bologna, saying: “At the moment the only fact is that Motta has an expiring contract with Bologna. Will he stay at Bologna? I can’t say, because I have no negotiations with anyone."

He added: "You can’t talk about things that aren’t in place.”

Image credit: Getty

There have been internal discussions at Liverpool about the possibility of bringing Motta to Anfield, according to Caught Offside, who also mention Simone Inzaghi and Julian Nagelsmann.

But for the time being, it appears Motta is seen as "alternative option" in their search to replace Jurgen Klopp.

Still, the former midfielder's achievements with Bologna have clearly caught the eye of many, including Manchester United.

Topics: Liverpool, Premier League, Jurgen Klopp, Serie A

Jack Kenmare

Senior Journalist at SPORTbible with a passion for long-form journalism. Almost 10 years’ experience across online and print.

@jackkenmare_