Potential Jurgen Klopp replacements at Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp dropped a bombshell in January 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, FA Cup, 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

Alonso is excelling right now / Maja Hitij/GettyImages

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.

Alonso looks like he would be a good fit for the Reds and his natural connection with the club might work in his favour.

2. Roberto De Zerbi

De Zerbi has earned praise at Brighton / Bryn Lennon/GettyImages

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 the Reds have gambled in the past and seen it pay off.

3. Julian Nagelsmann

Nagelsmann could swap with Klopp / Jürgen Fromme - firo sportphoto/GettyImages

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

Al-Ettifaq v Al-Ittihad - Saudi Pro League

Steven Gerrard is trying to rebuild his reputation / Yasser Bakhsh/GettyImages

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 his reputation has declined a lot in the past two years.

The Liverpool legend did a poor job at Aston Villa and has been shown up by Unai Emery's success as his replacement before joining the Saudi Pro League revolution, recently signing a new deal.

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

Zidane is choosing his next move very carefully / Hector Vivas/GettyImages

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

The Frenchman has been out of work since 2021 and has been linked with huge clubs like Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.

There's an element of mystique about Zidane's powers given his inactivity, but if anyone can match Klopp for charisma, it's the former Real Madrid star.

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

6. Ruben Amorim

Ruben Amorim has been at Sporting longer than some may expect / Quality Sport Images/GettyImages

One of the trendier options, Ruben Amorim's progress with Sporting CP since 2020 has been impressive.

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

Amorim is linked each time a job crops up at a Champions League 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

Potter has stayed out the spotlight since his Chelsea sacking / Visionhaus/GettyImages

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

Potter's time at Chelsea damaged his reputation but the Englishman's work at Brighton was exactly what Liverpool fans might hope for in a Klopp successor.

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