Liverpool’s post-Jurgen Klopp planning is very much in progress with Michael Edwards returning as FSG’s new CEO of Football and Richard Hughes expected to become the club’s sporting director.
The new hierarchy’s priority tasks include appointing a successor to Klopp, who will be standing down as Reds manager after nearly nine years in charge.
That promises to be no easy job with the 56-year-old having won all major honours available to him throughout his time in the Anfield hotseat.
Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso was tipped as early favourite for Klopp’s job, boasting a strong connection with the Merseyside club owing to his five years there as a player.
He won the Champions League and FA Cup among other honours and has made an incredible start to his managerial career with Leverkusen.
The 42-year-old is the hottest property in managerial circles with his side on the brink of a first-ever Bundesliga title and looking good for success in the DFB Pokal and Europa League to boot.
Bayern Munich, with whom Alonso won three German league titles as a player, are also thought to be keen on appointing him and, as such, Liverpool are busy compiling an alternative list of candidates.
Germany national team manager Julian Nagelsmann, Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim and Roberto de Zerbi of Brighton are all thought to be under consideration.
Back in January, when Klopp’s departure was announced, the Feyenoord manager Arne Slot was asked whether he would be taking up the soon-to-be vacant position at Anfield.
“Next question,” he said, appearing to rule himself out of the running.
His Feyenoord team have proven to be formidable since his appointment in 2021. They reached the first-ever Europa Conference League final in 2022 and were victorious in the Eredivisie last season.
Slot is a two-time Dutch manager of the year and has been tipped to now go and take the next step in his career.
The Dutchman was heavily considered by Tottenham Hotspur last summer before they ended up moving for Ange Postecoglou and he is also thought to be favoured by some on the Bayern board to replace Thomas Tuchel.
And now, one prominent Dutch voice has claimed that Slot is tailor-made for the job on offer at Liverpool.
“He has achieved something and has really shown in Europe that he has his own philosophy,” former Eredivisie striker Mario Bilate told RTV Rijnmond.
“A step higher will not be a problem. It will mainly be a choice of which club he thinks suits him best. I think that’s Liverpool.”
The 45-year-old coach remains a highly unlikely appointment for Liverpool at this stage.
He has, however, also been linked with West Ham in recent weeks, while he has an impressive win rate of 63.57% at Feyenoord.
