13 September 2023 , 06:00
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Jurgen Klopp ’s Liverpool future has once again been called into question with Germany keen on him, although they are going to havr to be patient.
The former Borussia Dortmund head coach is apparently being eyed by his home country after making the decision to sack Hansi Flick. Klopp has previously expressed that it would be “an honour” to coach Die Mannschaft but he is far from the only candidate.
The Reds would also be confident of keeping the Premier League and Champions League winner at Anfield considering he has three years left to run on his contract. Nevertheless, the latest links might lead senior figures to think about who could replace Klopp once the moment of his departure comes.
Take a look at some of the standout candidates that could potentially be considered by Liverpool :
Pep Lijnders
A man who knows Klopp very well indeed, the Dutchman originally arrived at Anfield back in 2014 as a Youth Coach before being promoted by former boss Brendan Rodgers. He was retained by Klopp once he was appointed as the Northern Irishman’s replacement.
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He stayed all the way up until January 2018 and only left once he was handed his first opportunity to be a manager himself. Lijnders took control of Dutch side NEC Nijmegen.
His stint at the club only lasted for five months and 22 matches before he returned to Anfield and remains there to this day.
Pep Lijnders is a trusted colleague of Jurgen Klopp (Getty Images)Who do you think will become the next Liverpool boss? Share your predictions in the comments below
Julian Nagelsmann
Should the Liverpool hierarchy want to continue the theme of German coaches, they could potentially be tempted to turn to Nagelsmann. The 36-year-old caught the eye with Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga before being snapped up by RB Leipzig.
He continued his impressive work with the German side before then moving again to Bayern Munich. Nagelsmann won the Bundesliga during his first season at the Allianz Arena but was sacked after less than two years.
He is thought to be among the other candidates in Germany’s search for a new manager so it would certainly be ironic should Liverpool turn to him.
Hansi Flick
Continuing the theme of German, former Bayern Munich coaches, there is certainly no doubting Flick’s credentials despite his recent sacking. He enjoyed a long spell with Hoffenheim earlier in his career before becoming Joachim Low ’s assistant in the German set-up.
That was enough to earn him a chance with Bayern, where Flick won two Bundesliga titles, the German Cup, the Champions League and a whole host of other trophies. His spell in charge of Germany has threatened to derail his progress.
Liverpool fans might be wise to note that a certain Klopp had just left Borussia Dortmund off the back of a season where they had spent the majority of the campaign in the conversation for relegation so Flick could certainly be a candidate.
Hansi Flick led Bayern Munich to two Bundesliga titles (Getty Images)Xabi Alonso
Staying in the Bundesliga, former Reds midfielder Xabi Alonso is certainly making waves. He was handed his first managerial role with Real Sociedad’s B team and was subsequently appointed by Bayer Leverkusen.
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Alonso managed to keep the side up during his first season and then led them to the semi-finals of the Europa League. Amid interest from Spurs, he then signed a new contract - a decision that looks to have been a great call given Leverkusen now sit top of the Bundesliga.
Alonso reportedly has a secret agreement with the club to leave should he get an offer from elsewhere if they are given a suitable offer - including from Liverpool.
Steven Gerrard
From one former Liverpool midfielder to another, Gerrard is currently in the midst of his third managerial job. After coaching the Reds’ youth teams, he was handed his first opportunity with Scottish giants Rangers.
Gerrard oversaw nearly 200 matches at Ibrox and ended Celtic’s dominance of the Premiership as he lifted the title in 2021. That saw Premier League outfit Aston Villa swoop for his services as a replacement for Dean Smith.
The iconic former Red was not at Villa Park for very long as he was sacked after less than a year. Gerrard is currently with Saudi side Al-Ettifaq having also taken Jordan Henderson to the Gulf state.
Steven Gerrard is currently with Al-Ettifaq after spells with Rangers and Aston Villa (Getty Images)Graham Potter
Following his difficult stint at Chelsea, Graham Potter has yet to return to management but that is certainly not a criticism of his abilities. The 48-year-old worked himself up through the ranks with Ostersund before getting his first chance in English football with Swansea.
He was on the move just a year later with Brighton and Potter managed to establish the Seagulls in the Premier League. Following three years at the AMEX, Chelsea made Potter the most expensive manager in the game.
His stay at Stamford Bridge proved to be a short one as he was afforded just 31 games in all competitions before being sacked. However, given the struggles that Frank Lampard and Mauricio Pochettino have had since then, it might not have been totally his fault.
Thomas Frank
Whilst Potter caught the eye with Brighton in the Premier League, his crown for one of the most promising managers within the English game surely has to go to Thomas Frank. The Dane has worked miracles with Brentford having earned promotion from the Championship, before establishing the Bees in the top flight.
They narrowly missed out on a spot in Europe last term. The attractive and forward-thinking style of play that Frank employs in West London would certainly endear him to the Anfield faithful.
It might be tough - and expensive - to prise him out of Brentford however. He still has four years left to run on the new contract that he recently signed.