Jürgen Klopp's decision to step down as Liverpool manager at the end of the 2023/2024 season means one of the most high-profile jobs in football management is now available.
Although Liverpool began planning Klopp's announcement in November, they have no successor planned. Furthermore, they plan to appoint a new sporting director before making a final decision on who will take over as manager.
Below are some of the frontrunners to become Liverpool's new manager and take charge ahead of the start of the 2024/25 Premier League season.
Xabi Alonso - 4/7
Seems to be the early favorite. A hugely popular former Liverpool player, he excelled as manager of Bayern Leverkusen, who has an excellent chance of ending Bayern Munich's stranglehold on the Bundesliga this season. Leverkusen, which operates on a fraction of the budget of Germany's biggest club, is four points clear at the top of the table and plays sparkling football.
The 42-year-old knows what makes Liverpool tick as a city and a football club and would certainly have the energy and personality to follow Klopp. There may be some concern about his lack of experience in the dugout, but everything he has touched in Germany has turned to gold. A bit like Klopp in his Borussia Dortmund days.
Roberto De Zerbi - 5/1
Did a fantastic job at Brighton and played the most attractive football in the Premier League. A great coach who improves players and he would certainly be tempted to move to a club that doesn't have to sell its best players every summer.
The Zerbi also excelled in Italy and at Shakhtar Donetsk before moving to England and at the age of 44 also has plenty of experience. But would he be just as effective at an elite club with all the extra attention and pressure that entails? It didn't work out for Graham Potter at Chelsea, who had done just as well at Brighton.
Pep Lijnders - 8/1
Would be the continuity candidate, given how long he has been part of Jurgen Klopp's coaching staff and has also taken on a more front-of-house role when it comes to media duties this season.
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However, when Klopp announced he was leaving at the end of the season, Lijnders also said he would resign so FSG would have to persuade him to change his mind. The Dutchman held his only real managerial job at NEC in the Netherlands for less than a year.
Ange Postecoglou - 10/1
Just the thought of this will send a shiver down the spine of any Tottenham Hotspur fan, given the transformative impact he has had on the club since joining from Celtic this summer.
The 58-year-old has had a long and winding road to reach the Premier League, but he has a track record of winning trophies and the way he has turned Tottenham around despite losing Harry Kane to Bayern Munich means he There will likely be high demand from all the top clubs if there is any indication he would be interested in leaving Spurs so quickly.
There is no indication that the Australian is the type who would abandon a club so soon after arriving, but it is also not every day that you get the opportunity to manage one of the biggest clubs in the world.
Ruben Amorim - 12/1
Wasn't on the initial list of foreign managers who could be on Liverpool's radar, but the 39-year-old is a hot commodity in Portugal and details of his £17million release clause at Sporting Lisbon have already emerged. He has been with Sporting for four years despite playing for local rivals Benfica and winning the title once.
His side are also top of the league this season, but appointing him as Klopp's successor would still be a risk given the size of the shoes he has to fill.
Julian Nagelsmann - 12/1
Still just 36 years old and after making his name at Hoffenheim, where he took them to the Champions League, he also had some success at RB Leipzig, winning the league twice with Bayern Munich.
He is struggling as manager of the German national team because results are poor and he has never worked outside that country. His star has fallen somewhat in recent years, but could still hold some appeal given his previous work at clubs.
Unai Emery - 12/1
A surefire candidate to be named manager of the season, thanks to the brilliant work he has done at Aston Villa. He also has plenty of trophies to point to on his CV and will certainly have admirers within the powerhouse at Liverpool, which would have been unthinkable when he was sacked by Arsenal in 2019.
Could be one of the dark horses for this job as he has the pedigree on paper. Villa would hate to lose him, but could his head be turned by Liverpool's interest?
Zinedine Zidane - 14/1
Is there a top job in European football that Zidane hasn't been linked to in recent years? Had huge success at Real Madrid, but that is the only managerial position he has held and has not worked since leaving the Bernabeu in 2021.
The French legend has been waiting for the right opportunity and there won't be many better than Liverpool. But why hasn't anyone appointed him before? That raises questions.
Steven Gerrard - 16/1
There was a time, not so long ago, when the former Liverpool captain would have been one of the favorites to replace Klopp, but his star has quickly fallen since winning the Scotland title with Glasgow Rangers. That was the job of his first manager, but the 43-year-old bombed at Aston Villa and despite signing a new contract with Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq earlier this month, he hasn't achieved much in the desert either .
His bitter experience at Villa is likely to make Liverpool reluctant to offer him the keys to the manager's office at Anfield unless they let their hearts rule their heads.
Thomas Tuchel - 16/1
The German, like Klopp, made a name for himself at Mainz and Borussia Dortmund in Germany before moving abroad. Won the league with PSG and won the Champions League during his time at Chelsea. He is currently in charge at Bayern Munich, where things are not quite going to plan yet, but they remain in the Champions League and are second in the Bundesliga.
What the 50-year-old does have is vast experience in managing big clubs with big egos in the dressing room. He will certainly be on the shortlist of potential candidates, but it is not certain whether he will be one of the favorites.
Jose Mourinho - 20/1
Could the self-styled Special One return to England to take charge of a third Premier League club after winning trophies at Chelsea and Manchester United?
The Portuguese has the CV, but there is a general perception that the 61-year-old's best years are behind him. He will hate that suggestion, but his habit of arguing and publicly complaining about boardroom decisions is likely to make him an unpopular choice. His history of antagonizing Liverpool supporters won't help his cause either. Would undoubtedly be interested in replacing Klopp, but it is unlikely to be mutual.
Graham Potter - 28/1
He is out of work and waiting for the right opportunity to return to the Premier League. There is no doubt that he would view the Liverpool job as ideal for him, but his failure to last a full season at Chelsea will cast serious doubt on the belief that he is the right man to succeed Klopp.
Appeared to struggle with the criticism, criticism and high expectations at Chelsea and it is more likely that he will have to prove himself at another mid-tier English club before he is talked about as a serious contender for one of the elite positions in global football .
Eddie Howe - 40/1
Hasn't had the same remarkable impact this season as he did in his first 18 months at Newcastle, who will fight tooth and nail to keep him, but there's no denying he's the outstanding English manager of his generation. Took Bournemouth from League Two to the Premier League and put Newcastle in charge of the Champions League in his first full season.
However, Howe's family are extremely based in the North East and he stayed in Bournemouth long after many felt he should go a step further and test himself elsewhere because he was happy there. He knows he has more job security than most managers at St James' Park and it would take a lot to convince him to give that up. Doesn't seem to be a front runner.
