After delivering the shocking news that Jurgen Klopp will be resigning as manager this summer, Liverpool have got their succession plans underway.
It's been reported that the club has not contacted any coaches to fill in the big shoes yet, but there is already a presumptive frontrunner for the job, along with other more distant possibilities.
Here, we're looking at some of the most likely candidates to replace Jurgen Klopp in charge of Liverpool — starting with the most obvious one.
Xabi Alonso
The man leading Bayer Leverkusen's miraculous attempt to end Bayern Munich's domestic dominance also happens to be a fan favourite at Anfield. It surely feels like the stars are aligning.
Xabi Alonso is still a beginner as a head coach at a professional level. He favours positional football which should work well for the current crop of players at Liverpool. His preferred formation at Bayer, however, is three at the back, which means some adjustments would need to be made.
Another concern is his squad management. At Bayer, Alonso has a strongly preferred starting lineup and rotates it reluctantly. It may have to do with a less intense calendar or poor bench options, but this is something he'll have to change if he returns to Liverpool.
According to our bookmaker partners MEGAPARI, he is still the likeliest candidate to replace Klopp — and Bayer won't stop him from leaving if he wants it.
Roberto De Zerbi
The Brighton boss is also very much in the frame for the job, as confirmed by The Times' Paul Joyce.
In many respects, De Zerbi is similar to Alonso: he also wants his team to play with the ball at their feet. However, he has more experience, having successfully worked with Sassuolo in Italy and Shakhtar in Ukraine before coming over to Brighton.
He has shown impressive tactical flexibility, setting up his team with three or four players at the back. The defensive structure may have been Brighton's weakest link under De Zerbi, but he never had a player like Virgil van Dijk there.
Negotiating with Brighton is usually hard — but Liverpool have a recent positive experience that got them Alexis Mac Allister for a bargain fee.
Julian Nagelsmann
The German FA still dreams of Jurgen Klopp and will most likely try to talk him out of taking a year out. If they succeed, Julian Nagelsmann will officially be available after only signing a short-term deal last year.
Aged 36, Nagelsmann is the youngest among the potential candidates — but he might also be the most experienced. He took Hoffenheim to the Champions League, led RB Leipzig to new heights and won the Bundesliga with Bayern.
The circumstances of his sacking from the last club should have no negative impact on his prospects elsewhere — although his reported lack of engagement with players could be concerning.
Pep Lijnders
Liverpool have already announced that Klopp's assistant manager is set to leave in the summer as well as he plans to start his own managerial career. Still, plans can change, especially since no other potential candidate knows this team as well as Lijnders does.
The Dutchman is liked by the players and has had a big say on the team's tactical set-up in the last few years, so the transition would be smooth.
The biggest question mark is over his ability to be the main man in the room. He already had a go at managing with NEC Nijmegen in the Dutch second tier in 2018. He was sacked after four months and returned to Liverpool. How much has he grown since then?
Steven Gerrard
A couple of years ago, Gerrard seemed to be on track to be the next Liverpool manager. After a miracle win with Rangers in the Scottish Premiership, he started well with Aston Villa where he was contracted until the same summer when Klopp's agreement was supposed to run out.
The wheels came off in less than a year. Gerrard was sacked from Villa in October 2022 and could only get a job in Saud Arabia a year later. He has already signed a new contract with Al Ettifaq despite them being in mid-table.
As a result, our bookmaker partners MEGAPARI only give it odds of 12 happening. In fairness, Stevie's chances are probably even lower.
Ange Postecoglou
Despite being already 58 years old, Postecoglou is a new name in the Premier League, but in just half a year, he has reinvigorated Tottenham with a brave tactical approach.
Spurs play in a 4-3-3 formation with an extremely high defensive line which is very familiar to Liverpool fans. Unlike the Reds, though, they have both full-backs inverting in possession which is even riskier than what Klopp has done with Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Perhaps just as important, Postecoglou has been vocal about supporting Liverpool as a kid, so a chance to take over at Anfield would surely be enticing for him.
Unfortunately, Tottenham are highly unlikely to allow their manager to join another 'big six' club, especially since he has just started building a team in North London.
Who do you want to see in charge of Liverpool next season? Tell us in the comments 👇
