Liverpool have reportedly held talks with a Ligue 1 manager as the club is still actively seeking Jurgen Klopp’s replacement ahead of next season.

Plenty of managers have been under consideration by the higher-ups at Liverpool, but the club have been dealt several blows in landing their top targets.

Xabi Alonso was originally thought to be the front-runner for the job, but he quickly distanced himself from the links by committing his future to Bayer Leverkusen.

In recent weeks, Sporting boss Ruben Amorim has been heavily linked with the Anfield hot seat, although the odds of him ending up at Liverpool have now been slashed.

According to David Ornstein, Amorim moving to Liverpool seems ‘unlikely’ at this stage as West Ham have now entered the race to land the Sporting boss.

During an interview with CBS earlier this month, Ornstein said: “Ruben Amorim has been heavily linked with the role.

“But it’s my understanding that despite being a candidate, he’s not a shoo-in for this job. He’s not necessarily the top option. We’ll have to see how this plays out…”

A new target is under consideration

According to Anfield Watch, Liverpool have ‘held talks’ with Lille boss Paulo Fonseca. The report claims that ‘informal talks’ took place with Fonseca earlier in the season to discuss the managerial role.

It’s also stated that the 51-year-old is ‘admired’ by those at the club and it will be interesting to see if the Reds do formalise their interest.

Compared to some of the other names that Liverpool have been linked with, Fonseca is far more experienced than the majority of their other targets.

The Portuguese boss started his coaching career in 2007 and has managed over 670 games in that time. Along with Lille, he’s also enjoyed stints with Roma, Shakhtar Donetsk and Porto.

He’s done a fine job with Lille this season too, guiding the club to fourth in Ligue 1 and taking them to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa Conference League which they recently lost to Aston Villa.

In an interview earlier this month, Fonseca did admit that managing in the Premier League is an attractive proposition for him one day.

“I have to confess it is very attractive the championship in England, with the best coaches, with the best teams, with the best players,” Fonseca said in an interview with the BBC.

“Of course, to challenge myself in this way, to play against the best, can be amazing. But I am not obsessed with this. I am [feeling] very good here. I feel very respected here in France.”

It remains to be seen if Liverpool will formalise their interest in the Ligue 1 boss, but he’s certainly someone to keep tabs on in the coming weeks.