Jurgen Klopp has announced that he is going to step down as the Liverpool manager at the of this season and immediately a host of managers are being linked to this job.
Klopp has been at the helm at Anfield since 2015 and after winning the Premier League, Champions League and the FA Cup over nine years, the German is set to vacate his position.
This news has come as a shock to most people but Klopp has revealed that he had broken the news to the club’s owners a few months ago. This basically means the Merseyside outfit must have already started scouting the next Liverpool manager and here are some of the names that have been doing the rounds.
The first and most obvious name is that of Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso who has been doing wonders in Germany this season. The former Liverpool midfielder has turned Leverkusen into a beast this campaign and after 18 games, Alonso’s team are sitting at the top of the Bundesliga table.
If he can help Bayer lift the Bundesliga title then Xabi’s stocks will soar and he will be the ideal candidate to replace Jurgen Klopp. The only issue however will be that he does not have experience on his side and managing a top class like Liverpool will be a major gamble.
The next name on Liverpool’s priority list is that of Brighton’s Roberto de Zerbi who’s doing a fine job with the Seagulls. Everyone thought after Graham Potter’s exit Brighton will see a major slump but De Zerbi has not only held the fort but he’s brought in an added flair into the team.
Brighton are not going to finish in the top-four this season and if a club like Liverpool comes calling then Roberto de Zerbi will find it really hard to resist.
The last name on the list is Tottenham’s Ange Postecoglou which is rather surprising because the former Celtic boss has been a favourite for the Spurs fans since day one. Tottenham are playing an attacking and attractive brand of football under their new boss and there’s no way Daniel Levy will let the Australian leave.
Tottenham are in line to qualify for the Champions League but once again, they are going to go trophyless something that has been the club’s ambition for the longest time. If Spurs fail to finish in the top four as well then an approach from Liverpool will seem very lucrative for the 58-year-old.
These three are said to be on top of the wishlist but obviously, they aren’t the only ones. Names like Steven Gerrard, Julian Nagelsmann, Zinedine Zidane, and Thomas Tuchel amongst others have also been linked with the Liverpool job. Until the next Liverpool manager is announced every major name will be associated with the job but the owners have to be very careful with whom they bring in. Jurgen Klopp has been a commanding manager since day one at Anfield and the management will have to find a replacement who emulates these qualities or else Liverpool will have a Man United like situation wherein the players will look to be their own bosses.
