Potential Jurgen Klopp replacements at Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp dropped a bombshell on Friday as he announced he will be stepping down as Liverpool manager at the end of the 2023/24 season.

His decision brings an end to one of the most important chapters in Liverpool's history, having turned the Reds back into a major force both domestically and on the continent. The German arrived in 2015 and has won a Premier League title, the Champions League, the FA Cup, the Carabao Cup and more during his time on Merseyside.

Liverpool will be able to enjoy his expertise until the end of the season and are still fighting for four trophies, but attention will naturally turn to who his successor will be. There are some good coaches available at the moment and others who would surely love to make Anfield their next home.

Potential replacements for Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager

1. Xabi Alonso

Surely the obvious candidate?

A former Liverpool player currently doing an incredibly good job in another league, Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen sit top of the Bundesliga with a four-point lead over Bayern Munich.

The Spaniard is greatly appreciated by Liverpool fans and has been linked with a host of big jobs throughout the season. Alonso's team play similar high-intensity attacking Football to Klopp's Liverpool and he may well be ready for the next step at the end of this season.

In the aftermath of Klopp's announcement, the majority of Liverpool fans on social media seem to be of the opinion that Alonso both should and will be the new Liverpool manager. Alonso's next Leverkusen press conference should be very interesting.

2. Roberto De Zerbi

Brighton coach Roberto De Zerbi is linked with returns to Italy all the time but still seems keen to stay and succeed in the Premier League.

His brand of Football would certainly suit the players in the Liverpool squad and it might come as an ideal time to leave the Seagulls without making them manager-less mid-season, as happened previously with Graham Potter.

There would be an element of risk involved given De Zerbi hasn't managed a club of this stature before, but then very few coaches actually have. Klopp hadn't before he arrived.

3. Julian Nagelsmann

Julian Nagelsmann has often been linked with the biggest jobs in world Football but his reputation took something of a hit at Bayern Munich.

Klopp's departing interview suggests he does not want to go into a new club job straight away and there has always been the lingering possibility of coaching Germany in the future.

Nagelsmann is the current Die Mannschaft coach but they have not exactly thrived under him. The former RB Leipzig boss may not be the first choice for Liverpool for that reason, but there is a clear pathway where everyone gets what they want. How realistic that is in the short term is another topic.

4. Steven Gerrard

This would be a commitment to the romantic side of the game.

Steven Gerrard was touted as Klopp's successor at Liverpool from the moment he went into management. That feeling only grew when he impressed at Rangers, but it is fair to say his reputation has declined a lot in the past two years.

The Liverpool legend did a poor job at Aston Villa and was really shown up by what Unai Emery did as his replacement. He then joined Al Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League, and he currently has them sitting in eighth. He also just signed a new deal there, against the odds.

This may have happened at the wrong time for Gerrard, but there will be a small part of Liverpool fans' hearts that would love to see him coach the club.

5. Zinedine Zidane

One day, Zinedine Zidane will take another top job in football.

The Frenchman has been out of work since 2021 which means he has been linked with a host of top jobs such as Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.

Being out of work for that long means there is an element of mystique about his powers, but there are reasons not to hire all of the people on this list. Liverpool are trying to replace one of the best coaches in the world.

Having won La Liga twice and the Champions League three times across his two spells as Real Madrid coach, we know he can do it. Perhaps this is the job opening that he has been patiently waiting for?

6. Ruben Amorim

One of the trendier options, Ruben Amorim has been doing a very impressive job with Sporting CP since 2020.

He delivered their first league title in 19 years when they won the 2020/21 Liga Portugal, and he has honed the talents of some very impressive Footballers whilst having very little cash to work with.

He is linked each time a job a crops up at a Champions League level club and this is no different. Sporting are top of Liga Portugal by a point right now, so he could bag another title before rocking up at Liverpool.

7. Graham Potter

Another name that many fans will baulk at, but he will be in the frame if the likes of Alonso, De Zerbi and Nagelsmann prove impossible to acquire.

His time at Chelsea really damaged Graham Potter's reputation, but his work at Brighton was exactly what Liverpool fans might want Klopp's successor to have been doing.

He was smart in the transfer market and worked well with the quality recruitment team, he played an entertaining brand of football, and he improved some of the players at the club when it wasn't possible to just buy new ones.

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