5 possible replacements for Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool
It’s been over two years since Liverpool appointed Jurgen Klopp to take the reins of the club from Brendan Rodgers, but while the Reds have enjoyed an upturn in popularity as a consequence, they appear as far away as ever from winning a first Premier League title.
Only a Steven Gerrard slip prevented Rodgers’ Reds from claiming the crown back in 2013-14, yet since that near miss, Klopp has never steered them close. Indeed, only in one of his three campaigns in charge has he even finished in the top four, doing so last term as they edged Arsenal out by only a single point.
While they currently occupy the fourth spot again, the prospect of a title challenge has already disappeared by Christmas, with Manchester City 14 points distant from the Anfield side.
They have fared better in Europe, booking their place in the last 16 of the Champions League, but a 3-3 draw against Sevilla underlined the defensive deficiencies that Klopp has utterly failed to address over his tenure in charge.
After overcoming their recent slump with a spectacular flurry of goals, Klopp’s job may not be under immediate threat, but there can be no doubt that the Anfield board will be casting their eyes around looking for potential replacements should the team suffer a relapse.
Here are five men they may well have their eyes upon:
# Leonardo Jardim
The Monaco boss would have to be a leading contender to take over at Anfield after the thrilling manner he set his side out last season, which upset the odds to win Ligue 1 against a Paris Saint-Germain outfit who boasted far more financial muscle.
The style is just as important as substance at Liverpool, and the fearless nature of the way his side fired their way into the semi-finals of the Champions League will have left an impression on the Reds board, too.
Among Monaco’s victims in that run were fellow Premier League clubs Tottenham and Manchester City, while Arsenal were ousted in a previous campaign, suggesting that Jardim knows how to set up his side to defeat England’s best.
Since then, he has seen his side dismantled, with several big-money sales, including the loss of Benjamin Mendy and Bernardo Silva to Manchester City, plus wonderkid Kylian Mbappe’s bumper switch to Paris Saint-Germain.
It would be little surprise if Jardim feels he has taken Monaco as far as he possibly can, particularly with PSG’s incredible investment over the summer making it near impossible for anyone to challenge them domestically.
This transitional year is not going as well as hoped, either, with the Stade Louis II side struggling to even finish in a Champions League spot. It could, therefore, be time for a new project and Liverpool would appear perfect.