With Liverpool announcing their hugely successful manager is set to leave the club at the end of the season, we at SportsLens have eyed up five possible Jurgen Klopp replacements who could succeed him in the Anfield dugout.
The German has enjoyed numerous triumphs at Liverpool. In nine years on Merseyside, he’s won just about everything.
Klopp has guided the Reds to a Premier League title, Champions League, FA Cup, Club World Cup, and League Cup.
Also a runner-up in the Europa League and twice in the Champions League, Liverpool have enjoyed their best years in decades under his management.
So it will no doubt come as shocking news for fans that he’s set to depart at the end of the current campaign. With Liverpool top of the table, he will be hoping to end with another title.
But now that the latest chapter of Liverpool’s history is coming to an end, we’ve listed several Jurgen Klopp replacement options.
Five Potential Jurgen Klopp Replacements At Liverpool
Xabi Alonso
According to the latest betting odds, Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso is the favourite to be Jurgen Klopp’s replacement. The Spaniard has guided Leverkusen from relegation contenders to the top of the Bundesliga.
The German side are unbeaten in all competitions this season, having won 24 of 27 games, drawing three. It would be a romantic return for Alonso, who himself won the UEFA Champions League with Liverpool as a player in 2005.
Alonso made 210 total appearances for Liverpool from 2004-2009, and would be a popular appointment. However, with Leverkusen in the hunt for a first title in the club’s history, they will be reluctant to let him leave.
It would take a hefty compensation package for Alonso to join Liverpool, but you would imagine that won’t be an issue, assuming he wants the job.
Roberto De Zerbi
Another potential Jurgen Klopp replacement is Roberto De Zerbi. The only current Premier League gaffer on this list, De Zerbi has worked wonders at Brighton.
The Italian has taken Brighton to new heights, making the Europa League knockouts.
His phenomenal record on the South Coast has seen him linked with numerous clubs in recent months. Liverpool could be a good fit, and he would link up with ex-Brighton star Alexis Mac Allister.
The World Cup-winning Argentine midfielder left the Seagulls to join Liverpool, and would no doubt welcome a chance to work with his former boss again.
De Zerbi was in charge of Ukranian side Shakhtar Donetsk until 2022, but departed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In his first season at Brighton, they finished seventh in the Premier League, securing European football for the first time in the club’s history.
Reports from the Brighton camp have been defiant, though. At present, they do not appear concerned with the Klopp situation, or their manager’s position.
Steven Gerrard
It would be the ultimate fairytale for iconic Reds captain Steven Gerrard to return to Anfield as manager. Gerrard’s biggest managerial success came as he led Rangers to their first SPL title in ten years, going unbeaten all season.
Unfortunately for misty-eyed Liverpool fans, it’s doubtful he will be appointed any time soon, though. After a disastrous spell in charge of Aston Villa, Gerrard was sacked in October 2022.
He’s since taken a role with Saudi Pro League club Al Ettifaq, signing a new two-year extension this month. As possible Jurgen Klopp replacements go, Gerrard is among the most unlikely at this stage.
Julian Nagelsman
Germany national team coach Nagelsman is also in the running to replace his countryman in Klopp. His contract expires in the summer, so he could well be available just as the current manager is on his way out.
Nagelsman has previously been in charge of Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig and TSG Hoffenheim, so knows his way around a top-level club.
Despite winning the Bundesliga in his first season, he was sacked by Bayern in March 2023, taking over the national team in September.
At 36, he would become the youngest manager in the Premier League if appointed. The German would take the mantle from Burnley boss Vincent Kompany, if the Clarets are still in the top flight by the summer.
Diego Simeone
A true La Liga icon, Diego Simeone has been managing Atletico Madrid since 2011. The Argentine spent two stints there as a player, either side of a period in Italy.
As a manager, he’s won two Spanish titles, the 2013 Copa Del Ray, and twice finished as runner-up in the Champions League.
If he was made Jurgen Klopp’s replacement, Simeone would bring superb tactical nouse to Liverpool. His teams have superb set-pieces and are often impossible to break down defensively.
Some Liverpool fans may not enjoy his style of football, but it’s hard to argue with the results. Despite often lacking the same level of superstar players, he’s consistently gone toe-to-toe with Barcelona and Real Madrid, often emerging victorious.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool Record
But no matter who replaces Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, they’ll have big shoes to fill. Aside from the numerous trophies, Klopp has built a lasting bond with fans.
He took over a Liverpool side that were rudderless and lacked identity. Under his tenure, they have become a top European competitor once more.
He’s also dealt superbly with losing key players such as Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino in recent seasons.
Since replacing Brendan Rogers in 2015, Klopp’s 60.7% win percentage is the best of any Liverpool manager in Opta’s records.
In 466 matches under the German, Liverpool have won 283, losing just 78. He will leave a legacy of success at Anfield, and Jurgen Klopp’s replacement will need to hit the ground running.
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