It has been confirmed today that Jurgen Klopp will step down as Borussia Dortmund manager at the end of the current campaign. The charismatic German leaves the Signal Iduna Park after leading Dortmund to two Bundesliga titles and three German Cups, along with a Champions League final appearance in 2013. This season though, things have fallen away for his side as they languish in 10th position in the table, 37 points behind leaders Bayern Munich.
At the press conference where he broke the news, Klopp said, “It’s not that I’m tired, I’ve not had contact with another club but don’t plan to take a sabbatical.” If there ever was a ‘come-and-get-me’ sign, then this is it.
There is no doubt that a whole host of clubs around Europe will looking at Klopp for next season. Real Madrid could be one, along with Bayern Munich. Barcelona is also a possible destination. The English Premier League has several clubs who could be enticed by the prospect of luring Klopp. It didn’t take long for England legend Gary Lineker to express his views on the subject:
Jurgen Klopp has confirmed he will leave Dortmund in the summer. Be good to see him in @premierleague . Great character.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) April 15, 2015
Here, we take a look at the Premier League clubs who could, and in some cases, should, try their best to bring in Klopp next season:
1) Manchester City
Manuel Pellegrini is in line to be sacked at the end of the season after a season that can only be described as a failure. City won the league last year, and looked to be Chelsea’s closest rivals until recent weeks. But, they have fallen away drastically and are currently 4th in the table. Liverpool, who are in 5th, are only 4 points behind them and if the Citizens are not careful, they could slip out of the Champions League places as well.
A major problem with City is that their squad is ageing and the signings that they have made haven’t been able to make a significant impact on the first team. The team that won the league in 2012 is very similar to the team that takes to the field in the matches nowadays.
Klopp’s arrival would not only mean a much-needed boost of energy and panache, but could also see him bringing him some players from Dortmund. The likes of Mats Hummels and Ilkay Gundogan could follow their manager through the exit door, and their signings would just be the revamp that City need going forward.
2) Arsenal
Klopp has been regarded by many as an able successor to Arsene Wenger. The philosophies that the two share are quite similar, whether it is with regards to playing attractive football or with building reputations rather than buying them. The Arsenal fans are split on whether the Frenchman should stay or not. There’s no questioning which side Piers Morgan is on:
Klopp would be our Mourinho. The time has come, Arsenal – act. #KloppIN
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) April 15, 2015
Even though they are currently on a good run of form, it could be the perfect time to bring in a change with a more dymanic, young and energetic man at the helm. Arsenal are a club very similar to Dortmund, but have a much better financial position than the Bundesliga outfit. With this backing, Klopp could achieve wonders at the Emirates. But it remains to be seen whether the board, who has stuck with Wenger despite his troubled times, will be brave enough to ring the changes.
3) Liverpool
This is the most unlikeliest of moves but we cannot discount it altogether. After almost winning the title last year, Brendan Rodger’s Liverpool are in line to miss out on the top 4 this time around. Even though the manager has strong backing from the Anfield faithful, there are detractors as well. But, it may be more logical to give Rodgers more time, as his project at Liverpool is still very much in building-stage and could take a couple more years to bear fruit. This fan puts it perfectly:
Replacing Rodgers with Klopp would be like getting a new artist half way through a picture – They’d have to start again.
— Justice (@IndigoLFC) April 15, 2015
4) Any others?
While there may be other clubs looking for managers at the end of the season, it is highly unlikely that Klopp, having built up a solid reputation, will move to a team not competing for trophies. The likes of Newcastle United, Sunderland and West Ham United may all well see managerial changes in the summer, but do not have the brand value to attract a big-name like Klopp. He started from scratch at Dortmund and took them to the top, but doing that in the Premier League with the above-mentioned clubs is impossible.
It will be interesting to see who moves for the German first. If he does move to England, then Manchester City does seem like his most likely destination. But Arsenal and Liverpool also have reason to think that a change may be needed at the top. Chelsea and Manchester United look stable as they are, and hence, those around them will feel that bringing in a proven winner like Klopp will only help the cause.
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