Klopp's successor at Liverpool is staring fans right in the face
Ever since Jurgen Klopp shocked the soccer world by announcing that he would leave Liverpool, the club has been linked with a plethora of replacements. Former midfield star Xabi Alonso was seemingly the preferred choice by the team’s brass. However, the Bayer Leverkusen manager recently revealed that he would be staying with the German side beyond the season.
While the news forced the Reds to look elsewhere, the Merseyside club certainly has other options. Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi and Sporting CP‘s Ruben Amorim were quickly seen as solid backup plans. De Zerbi has been quite open about potentially leaving the Seagulls this summer. But recent reports suggest that Liverpool are not exactly considering the Italian.
In the meantime, Amorim is now likely the frontrunner as Klopp’s successor. The Portuguese coach failed to pour cold water on possibly joining the Reds this summer during a recent press conference. The Sporting manager admittedly claimed that he “can’t guarantee” staying with the Primeira Liga leaders.
Ange Postecoglou has attributes to replace Klopp at Liverpool
Although Amorim may soon be heading to Merseyside, Liverpool appears to have a solid option nearby. Tottenham Hotspur‘s Ange Postecoglou would seemingly slot into the Liverpool locker room with ease. The Greek/Australian coach also deploys an attractive style of soccer with his current lineup and has Premier League experience.
He also has the personality to replace a legend such as Klopp. This is something that not every coach can handle. The outgoing German manager will go down as one of the best coaches in the club’s history. Arsenal and Manchester United fans are aware of the difficulties of finding a suitable successor to acclaimed managers. The two teams experienced growing pains following the departures of Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson respectively.
Postecoglou did previously discuss potentially being a contender to succeed Klopp. “I may be on a shortlist. I don’t think I want to say anything about that because I don’t think that’s ever going to enter my brain space for what are my priorities in life and profession right now,” stated the Spurs coach back in February.
Nevertheless, Postecoglou did claim to be happy in his new job at the north London club. “I’ve only been here seven months,” continued the coach. “I’ve been at pains to say we’ve still got a long way to go in terms of the football we want to play, team we want to be, squad we want to have.”
“We’ve had two positive windows. I think we’ve had a decent campaign so far, but we’ve got a long way to go.”
Spurs brass does not want to lose their new manager
Liverpool potentially targeting Postecoglou would, however, be difficult. After all, the coach only just signed a four-year contract with Spurs back in the summer. Although the club currently sits just fifth in the table, there have been positive signs of the manager’s influence on the squad. Despite losing superstar striker Harry Kane, Spurs have improved their goal tally compared to the previous campaign. They also have a better defensive record as well.
To grab Postecoglou this summer, Liverpool would have to pay Spurs a significant fee. Officials at the north London club rate their coach so highly that any price tag would likely be astronomical if they even entertained the discussions. Because of this, a move seems unlikely, but that does not mean that Postecoglou would not be a good option for the Reds.
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