Following Jurgen Klopp’s shock decison to quit Liverpool at the end of 2023-24 season, here is a look at who could succeed him at Anfield.
Throughout his reign, Klopp has brought success and stability to Liverpool which makes the task of succeeding the German a daunting prospect for any manager, whilst club officials must carefully consider who they appoint as his replacement.
Fans also will have their own ideas over who they want to replace Klopp, so here is a guide to some names who deserve to be in contention for the Liverpool managerial job.
Xabi Alonso
Since he took charge of Bayer Leverkusen in October 2022 with the club sat in the Bundesliga relegation zone, Xabi Alonso has done a stunning job as he first guided them to sixth last season and now unbeaten in all competitions this season.
We also shouldn’t forget that this is is his first proper senior first-team managerial position after he previously managed Real Sociedad’s B team, which makes his achievements the more impressive especially in his first full season as a manager.
Alonso’s counter-pressing attack style also is quite similar to how Liverpool this season have played at times under Klopp, especially most recently in their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg draw at Fulham where they dominated but created a strong press in and out of possession.
It is therefore little surprise that he is considered the favourite to take over but if Bayer Leverkusen continues to surprise many, you have to wonder if he will stay with the Bundesliga club and continue his impressive project there at this stage of his career.
Either way, Liverpool surely have to eye Alonso as a top candidate especially given that he is known at the club for a five-year spell between 2004-09, although he is facing a different Premier League as a manager to that which he played in as a player.
Roberto De Zerbi
Whilst many might consider Graham Potter a decent name following his Brighton exploits, his stint at Chelsea possibly showed that he isn’t ready for a top job unlike his successor – Roberto De Zerbi who has impressed at Brighton in the past year-and-a-half.
From seamlessly transitioning his own attacking brand of football without disrupting the continuity of Potter, De Zerbi managed to create a style which endeared Brighton to neutral fans en-route to Europa League qualification and FA Cup semi-finals last season.
Although this season has proven tougher with an injury crisis and heavier workload due to the addition of Europa League action, De Zerbi still has managed to deliver a high-quality team who have scored in all but four games across all competitions.
Liverpool bosses therefore surely has to look at De Zerbi at a potential successor who can come in and implement his own style, whilst retaining continuity built up by Klopp so I do expect him to be a name at the top of their shortlist.
Jose Mourinho
Although his two-and-a-half year spell at AS Roma hasn’t exactly been a triumph aside from winning 2021-22 UEFA Europa Conference League, Jose Mourinho is still a top manager who has a love for the Premier League.
Although Chelsea will always be one of his biggest loves, Mourinho has shown that he can do a solid job at any Premier League club – having guided Manchester United to 2016-17 Community Shield and Europa League titles.
Mourinho however is a manager who tends to excel within short spells at clubs amidst controversial opinions which is something that Liverpool probably won’t want, especially given the stability that Klopp brought to Anfield but he is a proven managerial winner.
The Portuguese boss therefore can’t be discounted but he would probably be very low on their longlist let alone their shortlist.
Julen Lopetegui
Although his time at Wolves was prematurely ended by behind-the-scenes disagreements due to Financial-Fair-Play (FFP) rules, Julen Lopetegui is a solid manager who deserves another chance in the Premier League but this time with a top club.
You just have to look at his solid record as a manager to know that he is a safe pair of hands and his high-energy attacking style should suit Liverpool’s attack and midfield well, although the defence would need time to adapt to the counter-pressing style that Lopetegui prefers.
Lopetegui also would have a decent transfer budget to play with which he could use efficiently in a way that he wasn’t able to at Molineux, but you have to question whether Lopetegui is keen to return to management in English football due to having to deal with FFP rules within his plans.
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